New Beginnings
by Loveheartx
Summary: Post-War: Hermione struggles to adjust once the war has ended, she withdraws from the life that she knew and struggles to find her parents in Australia. A chance encounter with two familiar Weasley's begins to draw her back to life, with Fred becoming her savior. (Follows everyone post-war, focusing on Hermione/Fred and their future)
1. Prologue

**My third Hermione/Fred fic but this one shall be entirely different, I intend to set it directly after the war. A few things I'll clear up at the moment: Fred is, obviously, still alive and I'm also keeping Remus and Sirius alive because I've always been outraged at their deaths and I always wanted Harry to be able to have Sirius as permanent family.**

_This war is over._

Harry's words still rung out in Hermione's ears as she sat alone in the Great Hall. Everyone was sitting with their friends or their family but she had taken the time to have a minute to herself. So much had happened and they had lost so many, she was only grateful that most of her nearest and dearest were escaping with only a few scars and that was horrific enough.

Some had not been quite so lucky. Remus had lost Tonks, a devastating blow mere months after their son was born, the Weasley's were mourning the loss of Percy, only hours after he had reunited with them, and some of the younger students hadn't escaped in time and had been caught in the crossfire. She didn't even want to think about all of the others that she knew who were now dead. It was far too much to take in at once and it was going to take her a long time to process the events of the night regardless of when she thought of them.

Hermione was also dealing with feelings for Ron. Feelings she didn't know existed and wasn't sure truly did exist. She thought about it rationally, irrationally and tried to ignore it completely but by the time her mind had raced through all of the details she had come to the conclusion that, at least for her, it was an experiment, a test of their friendship and she simply couldn't take it any further than that. Part of that reason was Fred. They were by no means together but Hermione was most definitely harbouring feelings for him that she had never, ever harboured for Ron. But Ron was the one that everyone knew that she would end up with, her happily ever after so to speak. It hurt her head to have to be rationalising it at that moment.

She and Fred had often shared "traditional" kisses under the mistletoe; there was even the years that that led to a little more, which then led to a coming of age kiss that finished the following morning when she turned seventeen. Of course the only people who knew about this were George and Ginny, Harry never had the time for something so trivial and she definitely couldn't tell Ron, especially now.

She looked up from her feet and saw Sirius embrace Harry, both men wiping tears from their eyes.

"Your parents would be so proud of you. If James were here…" Sirius could barely string a sentence together.

"If they were here none of this would have happened." Harry finished for him. "Sirius, go to Remus, make sure he's alright." He nodded towards the man in question who was collapsed next to Tonks on the stone floor, sobbing uncontrollably. Sirius gave him a nod and clapped him on the shoulder with a sad smile before going to attempt to console his old friend. Harry caught her eye and gave her the smallest of smiles before he turned to speak to Professor McGonagall. It was strange to see Harry so calm but it made so much sense. After years of his connection with Voldemort it was finally gone, he could finally live as himself, not in the shadow of the Darkest Wizard of all time.

Hermione dropped her head again as she felt tears forming in her eyes. She ignored the footsteps drawing nearer to her and only looked up when the person sat down and cleared their throat.

"Alright Granger?" It was Fred. His eyes were bloodshot red from crying and his voice was wavering as he spoke but he still managed a smile for her. George sat on the other side of her and they looked at her.

"Fred, George, I'm so sorry about Percy, he'd only just come back and-" Fred was crying again and she stopped talking. Instead she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closely to her unable to stop him shaking as she did so.

George was beginning to whimper with grief on her other side and she reached out to take his hand, wanting nothing more than to comfort them both. The entire hall looked up at the sound of Remus letting out an enormously heart breaking wail. Sirius was holding him and trying to pull him from Tonks' side, just for a moment. Harry crossed the space and tried to help his godfather, all three men crying openly now. Sirius and Harry were murmuring to him, trying as best they could to stop him from screeching, his eyes barely leaving Tonks' body and his hand still firmly gripping hers. Eventually Remus gave up and allowed himself to be moved slightly further down the hall, his sobs reverting to silent ones as Sirius and Harry calmed him a little. It pained Hermioen to see Remus, always such a calm and controlled character, to be in pieces as he was. He didn't deserve to have Tonks ripped from him after such a short amount of time together; this war had been cruel to them all.

"We-we couldn't handle it over there-" Fred began.

"-Mum and Dad can't stop crying-" George continued.

"-Charlie and Bill won't leave Percy's side-"

"-and Ron's trying to calm Ginny down as well as himself."

"Besides, we couldn't leave you on your own, not right now."

"Oh I'm ok." Hermione squeaked.

"Just because you say it, doesn't mean it's true love." Fred wrapped his arm around her waist and George followed suit, the three of them sitting connected for a while. She had to admit that she liked the physical contact and the comfort that it brought, especially from the Twins. Considering that she had felt so alone since the battle had ended it was nice for someone to seek her out and comfort her, she needed it as much as anyone else.

"You have the rest of your family to look after you and help you with this, I have no one. I have to find my parents before I can hug them, I don't even know if I can restore their memories I…" her voice trailed off as she choked back sobs and the twins both held her tightly. George grabbed her hand whilst Fred hugged her tightly and pressed kisses to the top of her head.

"You can worry about that tomorrow, or the next day. You've got us too. We're going to look after you just like we always have. You've been a part of our family ever since the day that Ron and Harry saved you from that troll." He told her.

The morning light was beaming through every new hole in the wall and what was left of every window. The sun burst out at that moment, showering them all with golden light of the new day.

"I've cared for you for a lot of years Hermione, I don't intend to stop that now." Fred told as she looked up at him.

Her eyes were filled with tears and she closed them, unable to deal with any more information.

"You are never alone, not anymore." He said quietly before he lightly pressed his lips to hers.

She was instantly brought back to happier times: accidentally meeting under almost every door in the Burrow that had mistletoe, the time at Grimmauld Place when Fred conjured it especially for her and the night of her seventeenth birthday, when he had kissed her with more desire than previous times and she'd led them to his room. She let out a small laugh and smiled at the memories.

"What're you thinking about?" George asked her.

"My seventeenth birthday." She whispered and the twins both understood what she meant.

She'd always had an odd relationship with them. From the moment she'd met them they'd looked out for her as if she were another Weasley, she was the only one they listened to when she'd scolded them and then there was the whole business with Fred. But she had a connection to them both that was different to anything else she had ever experienced. She could slip in and out of intimacy with Fred and there were no strange feelings on either side. They could confide in her with their plans and she would scold them, tell them what wouldn't work and watch them make adjustments. She was the only one that they listened to. The Twins were usually fairly closed off once you broke away from their charismatic appearance but they both had a soft spot for Hermione Granger.

She was shaken from her thoughts as Ginny approached them. Wordlessly, Hermione stood away from the twins grip and wrapped her arms around her best friend before leading her to sit with them. George pulled her to him then and began to slowly rock his little sister as Fred held Hermione's hand once again.

"We're gonna be ok." George whispered.

"We'll look after each other-" Fred continued.

"-just like we always have."

Hermione looked around once again and found it very difficult to believe that they were going to be ok. They had all lost so much and so much more had been destroyed that it almost seemed like they'd ever be alright again.

"Mione?" Ron asked as he approached. "Can I speak to you?"

"Mhm…L-let's take a walk." She suggested, moving away from the twins warmth and unable to read the expression upon Ron's face.

They walked into the grounds in silence, Hermione's arms wrapped tightly around her torso, wincing slightly where she had been hit with a jinx or a hex of some sort. They came to a stop in the courtyard outside the entrance hall, a mess of rubble and blood now, and sat on a couple of stones that had once been a part of the building.

"I'm glad you're ok." He told her after a few minutes.

"Likewise."

"Harry's…he's…"

"Alive." She finished.

"Well, yeah but he's… he's bloody brilliant isn't he?"

"Yeah, yeah he is." She smiled.

"Look, Hermione, about what happened in the Chamber of Secrets. I just wanted to let you know-"

"You don't have to say anything about that, it's ok."

"But I'm glad it happened, I wanted to for a while and I didn't know how to or how you'd react but now I do and I'm happy." He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Hermione began to panic a little, she hadn't meant for that to happen, or for Ron to react in any way close to this at all. She'd felt so alone despite being with them all those months in the tent and when the moment arose she'd simply taken it. She'd felt dreadful after the initial buzz of affection had worn off and now she was going to have to admit all of that to Ron.

"Ron I'm really sorry, I didn't even mean for that to happen, it was so spur of the moment and I don't think that anything like that is right at the moment, all things considering."

There were a few moments silence as Ron took this in.

"Are you saying that that didn't mean anything to you?"

"I'm saying that this isn't the time and I shouldn't have done that."

Silence again.

"We should be back inside, your family need you to be with them." She stood without another word and walked inside alone before Ron could see her cry. She turned right, away from the Great Hall, and began wandering the empty and ruined corridors of Hogwarts alone until she found the library, mostly destroyed, and sat in the middle of it all crying.

It was still the only place that could calm her.


	2. Chapter 1: 6 Months Later

**6 months later.**

Hermione was sat at her desk, she still wasn't used to that, and was going through the in tray on it that had gotten rather large over the weekend. She'd already had three owls from Kingsley's secretary, another from Kingsley himself and numerous pieces of official paperwork that she was pushing herself to finish that morning.

Once things had settled down she'd had every intention to return to Hogwarts for her final year but she met with Professor McGonagall and was assured that she would learn very little from a final year at Hogwarts considering her experiences. It was then that Kingsley Shacklebot, newly appointed Minister for Magic, stepped in and offered her a place at the Ministry, as his own advisor. She'd politely declined at first; she didn't have the experience or the knowledge of things in the wider world to hold such a position, but then Kingsley had insisted she was the perfect candidate, once again due to her experiences during the war.

If she was quite honest she was sick and tired of things happening "because of the war". She'd wanted to earn her job and her education, not be handed it. In fact, Hermione could barely remember the last time she was truly satisfied with her life. She could barely handle seeing Harry and Ron at work on the rare occasions that she ran into them and she was declining invitations to the Burrow and every other residence that she once visited.

Hermione was becoming a recluse and it was mainly her own fault. She was yet to locate her parents, who had slipped into Australian society far easier than she thought they would, and since then she was becoming more and more desperate. At the end of each day as she climbed into bed she would remind herself of exactly how alone she was.

Hermione Granger, a member of the Golden Trio, currently led a sad and lonely life. She put it down to the anxiety that she had developed and the fact that seeing everyone that she knew reminded her of all of the bad things that happened over the last few years and for once she just wanted to move on, forget that she was ever a part of the Golden Trio.

Her day passed with little excitement, she didn't have any field work scheduled for another week, so most of her day was filled with paperwork before she left a note for Kingsley with his secretary and left for Diagon Alley to check her finances for going to find her parents.

She walked down the cobbled street, which was far less crowded away from the run up to the beginning of the Hogwarts term, and headed for Gringotts. She barely looked up from her feet and as a result came crashing into someone who was running in the opposite direction.

"Ah shit, I'm so sorry!" she cried as she picked herself up off the ground.

"Granger? Merlin, we were beginning to think something had happened to you!" George Weasley grinned down at her once he realised it was her.

"I know, I've just been-"

"Busy. I know. Ron's told us. Multiple times." He took her by the hand and started to lead her towards the shop. "We've been worried about you Granger, you've barely seen anyone since the day the war ended and I've not spoken to you properly since Percy's send off. It's not healthy. And you don't look like you're eating." He added as an afterthought.

"Like I said, I've been busy. Look, George, I'm not sure I have time for this tonight, I was on my way to Gringotts and…" She was panicking, she'd never had to use more than one excuse to get away from a social situation and George was being so persistent. Inevitably seeing George meant seeing Fred and she really wasn't sure she could handle that right now.

"Relax, we're here now. Besides, Fred's dying to see you too!" he pushed open the shop door and led her through to the stairs that led up to their flat, entering to Fred conjuring up some sort of meal in the kitchen. "Dear brother we'll need to set another place, we've got company."

Fred stuck his head out from the kitchen, presumably to retaliate with a smart comment but stopped dead when he saw Hermione standing in the doorway looking terrified. He dropped the spoon he was holding and practically sprinted across the living room, vaulting over the sofa as he did so, and pulled her into the tightest hug she could ever remember receiving.

"Hermione what's wrong? Why are you shaking?" he asked as he led her to the sofa to sit down.

It was all so overwhelming for her. It wasn't until she returned to her parents' house once all the memorials after the war were over that it all hit her. She'd been reasonably calm and collected in the days that followed the war ending but once she returned to the empty house that had no memories of her left she had lost it.

"I can't do this." She whispered.

"Yes you can. Do you remember what we told you the day the war ended? We'll look after each other. We haven't been able to do that because you cut us all out as best you could." Fred almost sounded angry.

"I had to."

"Why?"

"It was the only way that I-I could process it all and deal with it. I did _terrible_ things."

"Hermione you're not making any sense. You helped to save the wizarding world."

"I didn't want any of this!" She screamed. "I didn't want this." She repeated the words; they were only a whisper now and followed by her sobs.

Fred pulled her close and held onto her before she eventually calmed down.

"I'm going to finish fixing up dinner, you look like you're not eating properly." He smiled and returned to the kitchen.

George followed him and she could hear them discussing her in hushed tones before returning with dinner ten minutes later.

"It's only bolognaise, but there's plenty of it." He nodded for her to have a seat at the small table they had for meals.

She did as she was told and ate her meal in silence, unsure what to say to either of them after her previous outburst. Once they had cleared away their plates George left the two of them to talk some more with the excuse that the Leaky Cauldron was missing him.

"What's the real issue, there's something you're not telling me."

She paused for a minute, unsure if she should tell him the real source of her worries. She then realised that this was Fred Weasley who had looked after her in every sense since she was eleven years old.

"I can't find my parents." She told him quietly.

"What do you mean, where have they been since they came back?"

"That's just it, I haven't gotten them back yet."

"But everyone thought you'd gone and gotten your parents after the war ended?"

"I went over to where I'd sent them but they'd moved and I couldn't track them again, I've been trying to piece it all together ever since. I'm so worried about them."

"I'll help you find them."

"Really?" she looked up to meet his gaze at this point; she couldn't quite read his expression.

"I don't want you to have to do this on your own." He smiled at her and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her closer to his chest and allowing her to rest her head just beside his heart.

They sat in silence like that for at least an hour and Hermione just enjoyed the feeling of not being alone more than anything else. She felt her eyes drooping and stood up, away from Fred.

"I should head home. Th-thanks for tonight."

"You can't go home now, it's ridiculously late. Besides, I don't want you to go yet."

And with that Hermione found herself staying at the Twins flat for the very first time.

She awoke in the morning in Fred's bed wearing the t-shirt and shorts he'd given her the night before with his arm draped over her waist, his bare chest pressed against her back. She smiled to herself and twisted in his arms so she was facing him, their faces only inches apart.

"Morning…" he grunted as he stirred and woke. He caught her smiling and felt himself beam a little,

"I didn't mean to stay last night."

"It's ok, I wanted you to." He cast his mind back to the last time he'd woken up in bed with Hermione Granger. For one thing there had been a hell of a lot less clothes involved. But this was different, _she_ was different. Right now, this version of Hermione in front of him was far more broken than he could have ever imagined her to be after the war and he wanted nothing more than to fix it for her so she could go back to being the Hermione that he had grown to love over the years.

_Reign it in there Freddie,_ he warned himself as he allowed his thoughts to consume him whilst he looked at the young woman in front of him. At that very moment he wasn't sure if Hermione would ever be able to know how he felt about her, there were too many other things to worry about without it.

An hour later Hermione was dressed for work, her caffeine levels were comfortably high and was preparing to leave the twins' flat for the Ministry offices.

"Come back after you finish and we'll start planning to go get your parents." Fred told her as he bit into his toast.

"I-I can't tonight. I really can't." she replied.

Fred glared at her.

"Why not?"

"There are things I have to do tonight before we can sort any of this. You don't have to do this with me." She was at the door now.

"Don't you be so stupid Hermione Granger. Come here once you finish work tomorrow with whatever you have about your parents and we'll start to find them. Ok Kitten?"

The term of endearment caught her off guard but she merely nodded before murmuring a thanks and turning on her heels to apparate to the ministry.

"She's not the same is she?" George asked his twin once Hermione was gone.

"No, she's not. She's a lot more…broken."

"And you need to fix her?"

"Want to, need to, what's the difference?"

"What if that's just who she is now? The war changed us all." George tapped the space where his left ear should have been

"Yes dear brother but you saw her. She's a shell of the Hermione Granger that we knew. There was no confidence, no feistiness and no fight left in her."

"Maybe that's just who she is now."

Fred shook his head. "You didn't see her when she woke up this morning. She was lying there and she was just…her. Just for a minute until she realised everything again. I'll bring her back."

George groaned. "You slept with her again didn't you?"

"Not in the way that you're thinking. I couldn't let her go home to an empty house in the state that she was in. She's coming over tomorrow night. I'm going to help her find her parents." Fred continued when George didn't respond.

"And why can't our little brother help her with that? He was declaring his love for her a few months ago if I remember rightly. Or what about Harry? Wonderboy lets her risk her life to kill off Voldemort but then won't be there to help her pick up her life again? Something doesn't quite click here Freddie."

As George pointed it out it did seem a little strange to him. Why weren't Harry and Ron clambering over one another to help her after all she'd done for them over the years?

"I think a meeting with our little brother and Wonderboy is in order, don't you Georgie?" Fred grinned as he leapt across the room and grabbed some parchment.

_Dearest Ronniekins,_

_We've a matter we'd like to discuss with you if you can tear yourself away from your busy day as a ministry official. We'll meet you at the Leaky Cauldron at 1._

_Gred & Forge_

_P.s This isn't really optional so you'd better show up with Harry in tow._

Content with what he'd written, he scrawled a similar note to Harry and then attached it to the leg of the owl he and George shared and sent it in the direction of the Ministry.

"And now what?" George asked a little impatiently.

"And now Georgie we go and run our shop like we always do."

A few hours later and the twins were telling their assistant Verity they'd be back "in an hour or so" before leaving the shop and wandering down Diagon Alley.

"I still don't know how you talked me into getting involved in this." George muttered.

"I didn't. I told you it was happening and you went along with it, remember?" he grinned as they reached the Leaky Cauldron and entered, already spotting Harry and Ron sat at one of the tables near the wall.

"What was so urgent that it couldn't wait?"

"We didn't say anything was urgent, but I'm glad you're so interested." George told him as they sat opposite the duo.

"Well?" Harry asked them after a minute or so.

"Been busy recently gents?" Fred asked.

"The ministry's always busy, we're still recovering from the war." Ron said rather pointedly.

"But you don't live there do you?" George continued.

"What kind of question is that? You know that if I'm not at the ministry I'm at home with Ginny or Sirius!" Harry told them.

"What about you Ron? Where are you when you're not at work?"

"I'm still at home, you know that too! What's the point of this fucking stupid interrogation?"

"What about Hermione? What does she do when she's not at work?"

"I don't know, stays at home with her parents I'd imagine. She doesn't see us anymore!" Ron was raising his voice a little now and Harry shot him a warning look.

"How are her parents?" Fred asked, changing the subject. The younger men sat opposite them still had no idea what was going on but welcomed the change of topic.

"Probably a bit dazed and rattled but fine." Harry replied. "It's probably why we barely see Mione, she had a lot to sort out there."

"Whilst you two sorted yourselves out these past few months she's been a wreck. You might also like to know that she can't find her parents."

"No, she went and got them. She did that before she started at the ministry." Ron told them.

"She couldn't find them. They'd moved and she couldn't trace them. But neither of you knew any of that did you?" Fred corrected them accusingly.

"She didn't tell us!" Harry hissed back.

"Do you ever go and see her? Because if you did you'd know instantly why she doesn't tell you things, she's a complete and utter mess!"

"Fred…" George warned.

"No! They weren't there when you took her home last night and she was absolutely terrified. When she was shaking and only just finally being able to talk about what was making her hurt. When she was _crying herself to sleep_!"

"She stayed with you last night!?" Ron's face shifted into an expression of sheer rage.

"I wouldn't let her go home to an empty house to cry on her own." Fred snapped.

"That's crossing a line!" Ron continued.

"So being there for someone who we've all looked after for years as if she's another one of us is crossing the line?"

"You know that's not what I meant."

"You really think I'd take advantage of her in a situation like this? You don't know me at all."

"This is all beside the point," Harry told them, "Why did you call us down here to tell us all of this?"

Fred stared at Harry for a moment before he recomposed himself. These were supposed to be Hermione's best friends in front of him, the two people she had helped out and laid her life on the line for more times than anyone could count, and one was too blinded by his own jealousy whilst the other was oblivious to the problem laid out in front of him. Fred was almost disgusted.

"Hermione would be very disappointed with you two." He said as he rose from his seat and turned to leave the pub.

"We better get back to the shop," George muttered before he caught up with his twin in the alley. "What in merlin's name was that last bit all about?"

"Didn't you see them? Ron couldn't see past his chances of getting laid and Harry couldn't see the problem at all. She'd be so upset if she saw them behaving like that, she doesn't need that."

"Who are you to decide what she does and doesn't need? Fred I think you need to sit down and think about this, people might get the wrong idea, Ron nearly did."

"I don't want anything to make her worse!"

"That's not what I meant." They were back at the shop now.

"We'll just be another few minutes Verity, can you cope?"

"Of course Mr Weasley!" she beamed at him as the twins headed up to the flat to finish their conversation.

The door slammed shut behind them and there was a few second silence before George started again, far calmer than he had been on the street.

"What's going on Freddie? There's something you aren't telling me and we don't keep secrets. Spit it out."

"I've _always_ looked out for her, even when she didn't realise it."

"I know that."

"B-but I never, ever meant for that to be something else. But then we started kissing at Christmas time. It was just play, nothing in it. And then we slept together on her seventeenth birthday. I want…I want…"

"Shit, you actually have feelings for Hermione Granger don't you?"

"Of course I fucking do! But I can hardly do anything about it other than look after her, which is exactly what I intend to do."

"The only way she'll ever be right again is if she finds her parents and even then it's not definite."

"Well then I'll just have to find her parents with her."

"That means-No! You can't just run off to _Australia_ with her!"

"I won't let her go back on her own." He growled and turned on his heels to go back to work in the shop, busying himself in the storeroom for the rest of the afternoon.


	3. Chapter 2: Planning Begins

**Because I'm a complete idiot I posted the wrong document earlier so here is the real second chapter!**

* * *

><p>Fred was pacing by the time Hermione finally knocked on the door to the flat. He flung the door open and grinned at her.<p>

"I was beginning to think you'd bailed on me Granger!"

"I almost did." She said quietly.

"Why?"

"How dare you tell Harry and Ron about any of this! How dare you involve them when I could barely bring myself to involve you in the first place!"

Even when furious she wasn't a sliver of what she once was but all the same Fred was embarrassed.

"I thought they knew. I thought they knew and they hadn't done anything."

"Well they didn't. I had to spend a lot of yesterday afternoon dealing with them hounding me for answers. Do you have any idea how…horrible that was for me?" there were tears in her eyes now.

"Please don't cry love." Fred wrapped his arms around her small frame and kissed the top of her head. "You would have been ashamed of them when I spoke to them. But that doesn't matter. We're going to find your parents." He led her to the table and helped her lay all of her information out into some sort of organisation.

"There's not an awful lot to go on. M-most of these are just maps of cities and suburbs. I don't even know where to begin." She admitted with a sigh.

"I do. We'll start here." He pointed to a small area that she had circled on one of the maps.

"That's where I left them and where they're supposed to be." She sighed as she stared at the circle on the map.

Fred spent the next couple of hours sorting through maps and various records and over the following two weeks they began to build a picture of what Hermione's parents had done once they arrived in Australia. In that time he also began to notice more flickers of the old Hermione shining through. There were a few more nights in which she stayed and they would fall asleep together, nothing more than friends and then a few fleeting moments where he found himself gazing at her in a way that he shouldn't be and nights where he wanted to pull her close and kiss her. But Fred kept his distance. He didn't want to push her too much, he feared she'd recoil twice as quickly as the last time and the last thing she needed was to return to the life of a recluse.

Two months after their investigation began they were ready to begin their trip to Australia to find her parents and Fred was constantly on standby in case Hermione found it all too much and needed to take a few steps back from it all. He'd already made her ask Kingsley for some personal time to allow their trip to happen and they were scheduled to leave in the morning.

She remembered the meeting with Kingsley, and how nervous she'd been. She realised now that she had no reason for nerves, Kingsley wasn't a cruel man in the slightest and had quite easily granted her the time that she required.

"Hermione my only wish is that you had told me sooner, we could have pushed your start date back to allow you more time. However that is in the past," he had waved his hand to indicate as much, "and you are welcome to as much time as you need, I will not give you a time limit. Your job will be waiting here for you regardless and there is no need for you to worry." He had told her.

She'd left the office and cleared her desk of what she would need before sending Harry and Ron notes to ask for their presence the night before they left so that she could explain.

She was brought back to the present as there was a knock on the front door and George got up to answer it. He had agreed to be present for support, and to handle Harry and Ron if either of them got out of hand.

The boys entered the flat and George got them both a drink before all five of them sat down to discuss Hermione and Fred's plans. Fred and George were sat on either side of her and she couldn't help but think how strange it was that they were the two men on either side of her after all of the years that Harry and Ron had been the ones that she had depended on for support.

"I'm going back to Australia." Hermione began quietly after a few moments.

"Do you need us to do anything?" Harry asked.

"We could come with you?" Ron offered.

Fred had already promised that he would stay quiet until she signalled for him to jump in but already he was beginning to lose his temper with them. Didn't they realise that she had asked them to come to hear what she had to say, not because she was in dire need of their help?

"I'm not going alone. Fred's coming with me."

"Like hell he is!" Ron roared, utterly outraged at the idea of his big brother going off to Australia with Hermione.

Fred balled his fists as he tried to contain his rage and Hermione rubbed the back of his hand a little to calm him, which it did.

"Ronald, without him I wouldn't even know where to begin looking for my parents and he's been very supportive ever since he found out that I still had to trace them." She explained.

"You didn't tell us anything was wrong so we couldn't be supportive!" he argued.

"How dare you blame that on me! Ever since we started at the ministry you two have been so absorbed in your own lives that you didn't notice that I couldn't sort mine out! You didn't even ask how my parents were when I came back, or if I was ok, or if everything went well. In fact, if it didn't concern the two of you and your auror training or your happy family moments then it didn't matter!" she shrieked before standing up and running to Fred's bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

Fred took that as his signal to join in.

"She isn't wrong you know."

"And what the bloody hell would you know about it? You've been waiting for an excuse to jump into bed with her for a while now by the sounds of it!" Ron shouted at his brother.

Fred couldn't take it and he jumped over the gap between them to clock Ron square on the jaw with a tremendous punch. Ron swung back and before they knew it they were in a full on scrap before Harry and George pulled the pair apart.

"You think that that's all that I want from her?" Fred shouted at his brother as George restrained him.

"Well it's really fucking convenient that she sleeps here too isn't it!"

"Just because you're too blind to notice what a brilliant and beautiful witch she is doesn't mean that I am! I refuse to let her go home when she's crying and upset, I don't know what she might do to herself and I care far too much about her to let any more bad things happen to her! Whilst you were trying to figure out how to bed her she was a complete wreck, and if you'd spent any time caring about her as much as you say you have over the years then you would have noticed in a heartbeat and done anything that you could to help her. Instead, when I did it you've turned jealous and accused me of what you've been trying to do! Get the fuck out of my house!" he finished with a roar and watched as Harry helped Ron out of the flat and down the stairs that led up to it.

Fred was exhausted by the time that George let go of him. He had completely forgotten that Hermione was even still in the flat until he heard his bedroom door open and she nervously padded back into the living room.

"Di-did you really mean what you just said?" she asked as she cast a quick spell to fix his nose up after Ron smacked him.

He felt a warm sensation as his nose reset itself as he replied. "Of course I did. We have a history. A history that means that I've grown to care for you too damned much to watch them trample all over you like that or to see you go through something like this and just stand back and watch."

"Thank you Fred. I really don't know what I would be doing right now if it weren't for you, both of you actually." She gestured to George as well before leaning in to press a kiss to Fred's cheek.

"You've been part of the family for years Hermione, you're like my little sister." George said as he gave her a hug. "I'm going to head to bed however, goodnight."

He left Fred and Hermione in the living room, a little bit of an awkward silence between them.

"I'm sorry that things got out of hand, I should have thought it through better." He told her after a few minutes.

"Fred, there's no way that either of us could have predicted Ron's reaction. I didn't think that he would overreact and say all of those awful things to you."

"He's such a selfish git! He had to make it about him being jealous and forget that this is such an enormous experience for you. This is going to be difficult for you and you needed their support, not whatever the hell he just gave you." Fred was visibly wound up and Hermione hated seeing him like that.

She went from the sofa and took his hands, which were balled into fists, and rubbed circles into the back of them. "Freddie," she said the nickname quietly but it was enough for him to make eye contact with her. "He's not worth your energy. Let's just head to bed and then we'll figure everything out in the morning." She gave him a small smile and then stood on her tip toes to press a small kiss to his lips. "Please?"

He nodded and let her lead him into his room where they curled up on the bed together and fell asleep instantly. Hermione awoke in the morning and could barely remember the last time that she had slept so soundly, despite the bed being empty as she woke up. She found Fred and George in the kitchen, discussing George's upcoming eighth date with Angelina Johnson.

"I think you should just grow a pair and ask her!" Fred was saying with a smirk.

"But what if she says no?"

"What lady in her right mind is able to resist the Weasley charm?" Fred was grinning now.

"Yeah…maybe you're right…"

"Your date's on Thursday isn't it?" Hermione joined in the conversation as she sat down on one of the high stools at the breakfast bar.

"Yeah it is. Do you think an eighth date is a good time to ask someone to be your girlfriend?" He suddenly blurted out.

"Umm…well if things were going well then I don't really see why not." She could see how nervous George was. "George, it'll be fine, she'd be crazy to not want to go out with you!" she grinned and watched as he ran a hand through his hair and took a large gulp of coffee.

"And what would you like for breakfast love." Fred asked her with a smile still on his face.

"Whatever you're having is fine by me." She said and left him to it as she took the mug of tea that he had made for her and curled herself up on the sofa.

Twenty minutes later she was presented with a full fry up and another mug of tea, much to her satisfaction.

"That was incredible!" she told him once she had finished.

"You're very welcome. Thought I'd better get us well fed before we left tomorrow morning. How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright. Tomorrow's going to be the beginning of a very long trip."


	4. Chapter 3: Austalia

As Hermione and Fred arrived in Australia she began to instantly panic.

"What's wrong?" Fred asked her.

"I don't even know where to start!" She said as her eyes filled with tears.

"Don't worry, we'll figure this out love." He took her hand and started to lead them in the direction of a taxi so that they could find their hotel.

In truth, Fred didn't really know where to start either but he had already told himself that he had to support Hermione and be strong for her even if he didn't feel like it. He cared too much to see her even more upset.

* * *

><p>They had been there for two weeks when Hermione was beginning to despair. They felt as if they had been going around in circles, checking the same areas and hitting the same dead ends.<p>

"I think we need to go to the address that we have." Fred said one afternoon. "And, before you can protest, the worst that can happen is that it the new tenants might not want to help and they might be able to give us the estate agent's name or something at least."

He barely let her protest before he had her out of the hotel room door and half way to the address that she had found for her parents. As they approached the street on the address her worry began to set in once again. She wanted nothing more for her parents to open the door to her and she could restore their memories and they could all return to England together. She knew that they were no longer there but she hoped that they would at least be able to tell them something.

A girl in her mid-twenties answered the door and was surprised to hear that they were, in fact, looking for a middle-aged couple named Wendell and Monica Wilkins. The girl told them that the names rang a bell and that she was sure a couple by that name lived along the road. The girl told them which house it was and that she had seen them leaving that morning. They thanked her and headed back to their hire car, determined to try the next day.

They spent the rest of the day deciding on what approach would be best for them to take when they arrived back at the address the girl pointed out to them. By the end of the day Hermione was physically and emotionally exhausted, knowing that she could be so close to finding her parents but without any solid evidence. In the end, Fred pulled her to bed and held onto her as she tried her best to fall asleep.

* * *

><p>"This could really be it!" she told Fred excitedly as they stood in front of the door the following afternoon.<p>

"How are we planning to do this when they answer the door?"

"I'm going to have to use magic. I think I'll just have to stun them." She sighed.

"Leave it to me love." He said and knocked on the door, not waiting for Hermione to protest.

Sure enough, Hermione's father opened the door, not recognising Fred, or his own daughter. Hermione felt her eyes welling up with tears and she missed Fred's entire tale about how their car had broken down, and could they please use their telephone to call for a taxi. She was finally looking at her own father after nearly two years of no contact, no way of knowing if they were even alive and he was looking at her as a complete stranger.

Once inside the house they found that her mother was also there. Before they could even pass them the telephone, they had each stunned one of her parents before sitting them on the sofa and preparing to perform the reverse memory charm.

"Are you ok to do this just now?" Fred asked her once they had taken a moment to assess the situation.

Hermione nodded and closed her eyes, allowing herself to clear her mind for the enormous task ahead of her. She gathered her thoughts and then opened her eyes, pointing her wand first at her father and saying the required words. She repeated the process with her mother and then they waited until they came around from the stunning.

It was nearly half an hour later when her parents finally began to stir. She gripped Fred's hand rather forcefully as her parents came to. Her father was first, and as he came to his senses he looked at her with a confused expression.

"Hermione?" he asked quietly after a second.

"Dad?" she replied.

"Where on earth are we sweetheart?" he said as he looked around the house that was now unfamiliar to him.

"We're in Australia. I had to wipe your memories nearly two years ago before I left to go and help Harry. I changed your names to Wendell and Monica Wilkins whose life ambitions were to move to Australia. Wendell and Monica had no children, which meant that you had to know nothing about me so that I could keep you safe. I'm so sorry that I had to do it and I'm even sorrier that it's taken me this long to track you down!" she was sobbing by the time that she finished her story.

Both of her parents stood and embraced her, all three of them crying now and Hermione couldn't believe that she had actually managed to reverse her charm.

They spent their afternoon filling her parents in on everything that had happened and then agreed to meet the following day in order to begin getting their affairs in order to return to England.

* * *

><p>Three weeks later and they were ready to leave, with Hermione's parents packed and happy to be returning to England. It was the evening before they were due to leave and they were sat having dinner in Fred and Hermione's hotel.<p>

"I'm so glad that you're coming home with us, I was so scared that we wouldn't be able to find you!"

"We're so proud of you, the fact that you thought of us before yourself and you went to such lengths to protect us means so much. You really are our daughter Hermione." Her father smiled at her as she hugged him tightly.

"I couldn't have done any of this without Fred, he's been really amazing through all of this." She found herself blushing as she spoke and quickly looked down onto her plate, but not before catching her parents giving each other a knowing look.

"I don't like to bring up bad memories but if you had seen her when I first saw her properly after the war you would see exactly why I stepped in to help so much. I couldn't bear to see Hermione in the state that she was in. She had lost her fiery spark that she had always had when we were at school and we had all been so worried about her, she had basically cut us all out ever since we laid those that we lost to rest. If I had let her walk back out of our door without even offering to help then I wouldn't be able to still call myself her friend. She needed us more than she would let on, and I wanted to make her happy again." Fred finished and gave her a small smile.

She could hardly believe the words that she had just heard come out of his mouth. It was so personal and so…kind. She realised in that moment just how much Fred had done for her, without realising that she hadn't covered it all. She felt tears welling in her eyes but managed to restrain herself from crying.

As their dinner wound down her parents bid them goodnight and headed to the room that they had booked for the night before they would fly back home. Hermione and Fred grabbed a quick drink before returning to the room that they were sharing. As she finished in the bathroom and quickly changed into her pyjamas she heard Fred clear his throat behind her. She turned to see him patting the space next to him on his bed, signalling for her to slide in next to him. She smiled and joined him.

"Thank you for what you said to my parents at dinner. I'm glad that they know that you were the one who was there to pick up all of my pieces."

"I'm glad that you let me pick up all of your pieces. There were moments where I thought that we really had lost the person that you were but then as we got closer to figuring things out you came back piece by piece." He put an arm around her and pulled her close.

"I owe you big time Fred Weasley." She grinned.

"You could start by becoming my girlfriend," he told her with a laugh.

"Are you being serious?" she asked as she wriggled free to look at him.

"I'm deadly serious." He told her as he adjusted his face to show her a serious expression.

She couldn't help but laugh at him as she took in his expression and folded arms; he looked less like a serious man and more like a child having a tantrum. But as daft as he looked she still found herself extremely attracted to him.

Hermione had realised how much she liked Fred as soon as it was just the two of them alone on their trip but due to their investigations she hadn't even thought it the right time to act upon them, he might not have even felt the same about her. But here he was asking her to be his girlfriend and Hermione could barely contain her excitement.

"Of course I'll be your girlfriend Fred!" she grinned and he leaned in and pressed a small kiss on her lips.

"I can't wait to tell everyone!" he grinned at her and she knew that by everyone he really meant George but she didn't bother to point that out to him.

They woke the next morning far happier than they had been the day before and in all honesty Hermione could barely wait to be back in England with her family once again.

* * *

><p>"But we should have a party!" Molly Weasley told them as they told her that Hermione's parents were back in the country safe and sound.<p>

"Nothing too dramatic, they won't want something too crazy!" Hermione laughed.

"Don't worry, I'll just invite family and close friends!" the older witch told her and with that there was no arguing.

The party was set for the coming Saturday and everyone had agreed to go to celebrate the return of her parents, even some that her parents hadn't met, like Sirius and Remus.

As the day arrived her parents made their way to London to meet her. She met them outside of the Leaky Cauldron and led them into Diagon Alley and then along to the Twins' flat. She thought she would have to drag them up the stairs as they became so fascinated by all of the wonders in the shop.

"They're both very talented, they created every product that you see down there!" she told them as she entered the flat.

"Hello boys!" her mother called as Fred and George ran out from the kitchen to greet them.

"Good to see you both again!" Fred told them as he led them into the living room.

"We'll be leaving very shortly." Hermione told them all as she checked her watch. "Fred, you better ready the fire." She nodded towards the old fireplace in the room.

"The fire?" he father asked.

"We'll be travelling by Floo, it's a little more direct and a lot safer." She added as an afterthought thinking of the one time that she had splinched Ron.

She directed her parents to the fireplace once Fred had informed them that it was ready.

"I'll go first!" George declared and took a handful of Floo Powder. "The Burrow!" he called clearly before disappearing into the green flames.

"It doesn't hurt, don't worry." She told her parents as she saw their faces of disbelief.

Eventually, after a little coaxing, her mother went next, followed by her father and then Hermione before Fred followed last. When her feet hit the ground in the Burrow she was delighted to see that her parents had arrived safely and in one piece, if a little startled.

Everyone else had already arrived and she beamed at the sight of the Burrow, once again full with people and food and happiness. A huge banner had been hung across the living room which read "Welcome home Mr and Mrs Granger" and Hermione couldn't help but laugh as she watched her parents trying to recall the names of her friends.

Fred appeared beside her and took her hand before leaning down to whisper in her ear; "It's alright love, I think it's time we finally told people that we're together, don't you?"

With all of the other things that had been happening they hadn't had time to tell anyone, other than George and her parents, that they were now a couple. The thought made her a little nervous of everyone's reactions, particularly Harry and Ron. Before she even got a moment to stress any longer Ginny had appeared in front of her and as embracing her.

"I'm sorry if I was a bit of a terrible friend." She blushed a little. "Harry told me what happened the last time that he saw you and I feel awful for you thinking that we were too wrapped up in our own lives and- " she cut herself off, "I'm just really sorry that I was an idiot. Can we be best friends again?" she grinned.

"Of course we can! I've missed you Gin!"

"When were you going to tell me that you're seeing my brother by the way? I had to find out from him!" she pointed at George dramatically. "Not that I didn't see it coming, I always knew that you two would get together at some point!"

"The only time Ginny didn't know something!? I feel like I should win an award or something!" she joked with her friend.

They left each other for a while so that Hermione could catch up with everyone else. When she finally reached Remus she saw an almost entirely different man. He was far quieter than he had always been and it made Hermione sad to see that he wasn't entirely there anymore.

"How are you doing?" she asked him quietly.

"I've been better. But Teddy keeps me going," he smiled as he nodded towards his son, who was playing with Harry in the middle of the living room floor.

"I'm sorry I haven't been in touch recently," she told him after a moment.

"Don't worry about it Hermione, I realise that you've had a lot on your plate too. Molly told me how worried she was about you, I'm just glad to see that you're almost back to your old self again." He gave her a smile.

"I'd love to come by sometime and see you and Teddy, he's already getting so big!" she grinned.

"I'd love that Hermione, it would be good to catch up with you properly." He told her as he went to go and pick up Teddy, who was now crying after falling over.

Sometime later, as evening was falling, Mr Weasley called for everyone's attention as he prepared to make a toast.

"Ladies and Gents, it is so good to see so many of you again! I would firstly like to say how wonderful that it is to have Hermione's parents back with us once again. When we heard that Hermione was having difficulty finding you in Australia it broke our hearts. She has been another daughter to us ever since she was eleven years old and knowing how distressed and distant she had become really worried us. But now, to see the difference and how happy she is once again it's good to know that you're all safe and well, to the Grangers!" he finished with a cheer from the entire room.

Hermione stepped forwards and hugged Mr and Mrs Weasley, thanking them for all of their kindness over the years, before taking her place to talk to everyone.

"I just want to say a big thank you to you all, it's so good to see all of you again and to know that very little has changed between us all, we always have felt like one enormous family! But I want to say a special thank you to Fred who has helped me overcome all of the obstacles with leaps and bounds to get to where we are now. His support was absolutely amazing and I'm eternally grateful!"


	5. Chapter 4: Back to Reality

The party was still in full swing when Ginny found her once again and dragged her up to her old bedroom, making the door was closed behind them before she finally spoke.

"Ginny, what on earth is so top secret that you had to lock us into your old room to tell me?"

Ginny looked around nervously and swallowed hard before she spoke.

"Harry proposed to me." She said rather calmly.

"He did!? Oh Ginny that's fantastic! Did you say yes?"

Ginny shook her head.

"You said no?"

She shook her head again.

"Well what did you say?" Hermione asked, confused.

"I didn't say anything! I kind of choked and told him that I had to think about it! This is such a big deal Hermione and I just don't know if I'm ready for this kind of commitment!"

Hermione had to laugh at Ginny, who was always so prepared and calm about everything.

"Ginny I don't think that you have anything to worry about, this is you and Harry that we're talking about!"

"It sounds a lot better to hear you say it!" she said, looking at her feet as she did so.

"So all you really needed was someone else to tell you to stop being an idiot and say yes!"

"I think so! But I didn't really have anyone when you weren't talking to me! I just had to tell someone else and I just wanted it to be you." she laughed.

"Well what are you waiting for? You go and tell him right now that you're going to marry him and that I'll be your bridesmaid!" she laughed and herded her best friend out of her room towards the party and Harry.

Once they reached the party again she watched Ginny run off and hiss at Harry that she was going to marry him. As she watched her best friends embrace she couldn't help but grin. Harry swiftly announced to the entire room that they were getting married, much to everyone's joy, and Mrs Weasley started crying at the news.

The party got a little crazier from that moment on and as it reached the early hours of the morning everyone began to say their goodnights and head to bed or home. Hermione's parents were using Ginny's room so Ginny was sharing with Harry and Ron whilst Hermione slipped into the Twins' room to share with Fred.

Of course Fred and George weren't quite tired yet and they spent the next few hours discussing everything from the upcoming wedding to the entire time that they spent in Australia. Finally, at around three am, Hermione found herself falling asleep in Fred's arms before waking up, what felt like five minutes later.

Breakfast was already in full swing and already Hermione could hear Mrs Weasley chattering to Harry and Ginny excitedly about the wedding.

* * *

><p>It was the following week before Hermione was back at the flat in Diagon Alley again. She had been so busy with work that she had been going between her flat and the Ministry almost exclusively. Fred and George were more than happy to see her, with George apologising at his quick appearance as he was heading over to Angelina's for the night.<p>

"Looks like it's just us!" Fred grinned at her before throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her through to his bedroom.

The following morning Fred had agreed that George would take the shop so that he and Hermione could finally have some time together. They had agreed to go to her parents' house for lunch and Hermione was excited to spend some time away from the city, sometimes she felt a little enclosed when she was surrounded by enormous building all the time.

As they arrived at the Granger house Hermione instantly recognised what was being cooked for lunch, her mother was preparing her favourite soup with homemade bread for their lunch.

"Oh but that's so exciting!" her mother told them as she discussed the upcoming wedding with them both.

"They'll probably get married in a few months I would imagine, they've been so eager to have a life together. It'll be such a lovely day," Hermione beamed in response.

"Who knows, maybe you'll be next!" her mother laughed as they began to eat their meal.

They all laughed but Hermione felt anxious to get away from the conversation. She and Fred had only recently become a couple and even talking about that kind of commitment so soon made her feel uneasy.

As they finished up with lunch and their afternoon began to wind down, Hermione hugged both of her parents goodbye and returned to London with Fred to the flat. As they apparated back into Fred's living room there was someone banging on the front door.

"I just heard you apparate back into the house, let me in!" Ron was now shouting from outside the door.

Fred sighed and rolled his eyes before letting his little brother into the flat. Ron responded by slamming into Fred and pinning him up against the wall next to the door.

"How could you do this to me and get together with Hermione!?" he roared as Fred tried to catch his breath.

"Stop being so bloody stupid!" Fred replied angrily.

"Stupid? You told me that it wasn't like that and then I find out from Harry that you two are together!"

"Ronald we thought we had made it clear that we were together at the party, you didn't say anything to us then!" Hermione squeaked from behind them.

Ron released his brother a little and rounded on Hermione.

"But you didn't tell me! You didn't think to come and tell me, your best friend, the one that you know has loved you for years!"

"Oi! This isn't supposed to be about you!" Fred shouted from behind him.

"I-I-I- don't know what you want me to say!" Hermione could feel tears forming in her eyes as her chest began to tighten at the confrontation.

"Say that you're sorry! You've messed me about too much for me to be ok with this!" he was getting closer and closer, encroaching on Hermione's space and she began to feel scared.

"Ron please-" she whispered.

But before she could get any further Fred was hauling his brother backwards and towards the door. Hermione didn't hear what he told him as she backed into one of the seats and forced herself to sit down. It was only when Fred was crouching next to her that she snapped out of her daze a little.

"I'm so sorry Mione." He took her hand in his and began to rub circles in it.

"I-it's not your fault." She managed to breathe.

"Let's just go to bed and forget that he even showed up, ok?"

She nodded and allowed herself to be led to bed and she only felt a little safer when Fred wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close again.

When they awoke the next morning Hermione refused to speak about Ron and his outburst. She was planning to tell Ginny when she saw her friend later and she hated the idea of reliving it twice. Fred brought her breakfast in bed, presumably to cheer her up, and she waited until the very last minute to get out of bed, much to Fred's annoyance.

"Buy why do you have to leave?" he pouted as he lay in bed, only half covered by the duvet.

"I'm going to sort out wedding things with Ginny. I thought you'd be more excited about your little sister's wedding!" she scolded him as she stepped into the shower.

An hour later she was sitting down for coffee with Ginny at Grimmauld Place, which had been redecorated, much to Sirius' disgruntlement she later found out, and was even beginning to look more like a home than Hermione realised was possible.

"Sirius has taken Harry for an initial robe fitting, we've decided that we're getting married in two months, can you believe it?" she beamed.

"Oh Ginny that's wonderful! Where will you get married?"

"At Mum and Dad's, she's already started planning for numbers and space." She laughed as she shook her head. "I was wondering if you would be my bridesmaid and maid of honour all rolled into one?"

"Of course I will! And I'm happy to help with whatever else you need, no matter what."

"I need help with the guestlist right now, obviously because of Harry being "The Chosen One" it's practically a state affair so there are so many people that we have to invite…."

"At least a lot of them are old friends," Hermione smiled as she thought of Kingsley, Professor McGonagall and the other members of the Order who would be present.

"That's true and it makes it less difficult for us. Hermione I'm so excited! I'd get married right now if I could!"

"I think we both know that your mother would kill you both if you ran off and did that!" Hermione laughed.

"I know, which is why we need to plan as much as we can today!"

Hermione had to laugh, she had never quite imagine Ginny being this excited for planning her wedding. She had also imagined Mrs Weasley planning all of her children's wedding's by herself so she loved that she was getting to be part of Ginny's big day.

"Ron came to the flat last night and he wasn't happy." Hermione told her friend, hours after they had first sat down.

"I knew that he was angry but I didn't think that he would act on it, he's always made rash decisions like that."

"I was scared of him Ginny, he was so angry and intimidating and he was trying to make me feel guilty for being with Fred." she sighed.

"Ron's always been jealous of the relationship that you've had with the Twins, it was so different to the relationship with him and it caused a lot of friction between them. Ron always thought that he was the better man, that Fred would never be good enough for you and that he was the only option for you. But I think he forgot that anyone that you ended up with was down to you, not him or Fred or anyone else. He'll come around eventually, maybe it'll just have to wait until he grows up a bit first." Ginny smiled at her.

She arrived back at the Twins' flat in the early evening and couldn't wait to tell Fred all about her day of planning.

As she arrived back in her office the following morning she was greeted by an inter-departmental memo from Kingsley's office asking her to attend a meeting as soon as she could. Without thinking she turned out of her office and headed along the corridor to Kingsley's offices.

"Good morning Hermione!" Kingsley's secretary Matilda greeted her as she entered the waiting area.

"Morning, Kingsley sent for me, is he in?"

"He said for you to go straight in, he's ready for you."

Hermione made her way into Kingsley's office and was greeted by the Minster for Magic before she took a seat opposite him at his desk.

"The war trials are starting tomorrow and I need your opinions and outlooks throughout. I didn't want to ask you, I know it might bring up some bad memories, but you're a very valuable member of my team who has one of the best insights and judgements that I know."

"If you want me to be there then I will be." She said. "Who's trial is first?" she asked as an afterthought.

"Draco Malfoy is being tried first. I will send you all of the necessary details, including trial dates for all offenders."

They finished up their meeting with day to day business and it wasn't until she was on her way back to her own office that she realised that it wasn't just anyone being tried the following day, it was Draco Malfoy, the boy who they had gone to Hogwarts with.

She found herself unable to concentrate for the rest of the day and as her afternoon began to wind down she decided to check out early and find Harry, she felt like she needed to talk to someone who understood her thoughts.

She found him in his office, surrounded by mountains of unfinished and untidy paperwork, which made her cringe and long to organise.

"Hi Harry!" She squeaked as she approached his desk.

"Hermione! It's so good to see you!" he ran around and pulled her into an enormous hug, almost crushing her ribs in the process, and she already felt at ease.

"Draco Malfoy's trial is tomorrow." She said as they both sat down.

"I know, I wasn't sure if you would know or not."

"I'm going to be there, Kingsley has asked me to sit in on the trials and advise him. I just don't know how I'll process Malfoy's trial though. He's different to the other Death Eaters, we shared classes with him, you played Quidditch against him and we saw him on a daily basis."

"I know what you mean. Ron and I are witnesses for some of the trials, I imagine you may well be too but it's different when it's someone that we know being tried. As much as he was a massive git when we were at school, I think it'll be hard if he gets an awful sentence."

"That's what I'm worried about. What if I have to help determine whether or not he gets the Dementor's kiss? I don't think I can handle that!"

She found herself panicking and unable to breathe properly the more she thought about Malfoy and the things that he did and the war. They were all merging together and making her uncomfortable.

"It'll be ok Hermione, I promise it will." Harry told her with a smile that reminded her of why he was her best friend.

She thought that they were all finally moving on from the war.

Apparently she was wrong.


	6. Chapter 5: The First Trial

Fred had offered to walk her to work but Hermione felt like she needed the time to clear her head for the day ahead. She had no idea what to expect from the first day of trials. Of course the Prophet was there when she arrived at the Ministry, trying to get her opinion or at least a photograph that they could use to show her looking distraught.

She finally made it to the courtrooms and found Kingsley waiting outside.

"Morning, Hermione, we're nearly ready to go in. Here's the case notes for Draco Malfoy," he handed her a file and she began to feel sick.

Before she could say anything at all she was being led into the courtroom and up into the stands next to Kingsley. It took another half an hour before the session as called and the Wizengamot were settled into the stands. She noticed Harry in the witness stands and caught his eye. He gave her a small, reassuring smile and she relaxed as best she could.

Kingsley raised his hand and nodded at the two men standing at the far door. They led in Draco Malfoy, or at least the man who resembled him. Hermione could barely believe that it was even Draco that was being placed in the chair in the centre of the room. He was so gaunt and his hair, which was normally a platinum blonde colour, was limp and yellowish and he looked as if he hadn't slept in months.

"You are Draco Malfoy, formerly of Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire and currently of Azkaban Prison?" Kingsley asked.

"I am."

"Draco Malfoy, you are presented here in front of this court charged with war crimes, including the use of multiple unforgiveable curses and conspiring with the deceased dark wizard known as Lord Voldemort."

Draco hung his head and Hermione was sure that in the silence of the courtroom she could hear him sniffling. She noticed Ron sneaking into the witness stands, evidently running late, and she tried not look at him, it was the first time she had seen him since his outburst.

"Mr Malfoy, in the case of the use of unforgiveable curse, do you deny this charge?" Kingsley asked.

"No sir." He replied quietly.

"I thereby charge you guilty of the use of unforgiveable curses on multiple occasions. Mr Malfoy explain to the court how you came to be in a position in Lord Voldemort's inner circle."

"I-I didn't have a choice. My father was a close companion of Lord Voldemort and he threatened to disown me and that I would be treated as a traitor if I didn't join them."

"So you are saying that it was not your own choice?"

Draco nodded. "I was scared that Voldemort would kill me if I tried to leave, to make a point to my parents and to others, he had no mercy for anyone."

"Thank you Mr Malfoy, please be seated back in the stand."

There was silence as Draco shuffled back to the stands and sat next to Harry.

"I call Ronald Billius Weasley to the stand." Kingsley said as he looked over his papers in front of him.

Ron pushed past Harry and Draco to sit in the chair in the centre of the courtroom.

"You are Ronald Billius Weasley of The Burrow near Ottery St. Catchpole?"

"I am." Ron replied.

"Mr Weasley you were in confrontation with Lord Voldemort and his inner circle on numerous occasions, what can you say about Draco Malfoy's doings?"

"Draco Malfoy had always had a grudge against myself, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter from the moment that we all started Hogwarts. In our sixth year he led a group of Death Eaters on an attack through the school which ended with the death of Albus Dumbledore. He, like ourselves, did not return for his seventh year of teaching at Hogwarts and instead was a vital part of Voldemort's inner circle and was present in the battle of Hogwarts on Voldemort's side. Although myself and Harry had saved him on several occasions he still insisted on trying to kill us both and re-joined Voldemort when it was thought that Harry was dead. Draco Malfoy was, and always will be, a ruthless Death Eater."

Hermione knew that Ron was exaggerating a little. Draco hadn't led the attack in their sixth year and he didn't have a choice about which side he took, much like she and Ron were on Harry's side no matter what.

"Mr Weasley, in your professional opinion as an Auror and member of the Ministry, do you believe Mr Malfoy to be a risk to the general population?"

"Yes I do."

"Thank you Mr Weasley. I now call Mr Harry James Potter!" Kingsley announced before turning to Hermione. "What did you make of his testimony?"

"I think it was exaggerated, but I want to see what Harry has to say."

Kingsley nodded and returned to his duties.

"You are Harry James Potter of Grimmauld Place in London?"

"I am sir."

"Can you please give your account of Mr Malfoy and his behaviours during the war?"

"As Ron said, Draco Malfoy and I had never seen eye to eye and I had always thought badly of him, I probably would have regarded him as evil before the war. However, with that being said, the night that Ron speaks of, the night in which Albus Dumbledore was killed, I saw Draco Malfoy for exactly what he was: a terrified schoolboy, exactly like me."

Hermione felt a surge of pride towards Harry and his honesty, she hadn't quite expected it from him.

"He was supposed to kill Dumbledore but he couldn't, he was too scared and, in my opinion, too moral to actually go through with it. I believe that his actions from that moment onwards were very much what his father wanted him to do, rather than what he wanted to do."

Hermione looked over to where Draco was sitting and she was sure that her expression matched the shock across his face. Harry had essentially described Draco as a man who was not a threat.

"Mr Potter I ask you the same question that I asked to Mr Weasley, in your professional opinion do you believe Mr Malfoy to be a risk to the general population?"

"I do not sir."

"Thank you Mr Potter. The witnesses and the defendant will now be led from the courtroom whilst the Wizengamot regards their decision."

The room was silent as the three men left the courtroom and then Kingsley turned to Hermione.

"Hermione, I am more inclined to believe Mr Potter rather than Mr Weasley, especially as you say that things were exaggerated a little by him. Would you please explain?"

"Ron can sometime be blinded a little by his emotions and can't always see the bigger picture but Harry is more balanced in my opinion. I also am inclined to agree with Harry because I believe what he said to be true regarding the influence that his father had on him. During the battle of Hogwarts I saw Draco Malfoy to be as scared as any of us and he was so hesitant to rejoin with Voldemort's followers."

"Very well."

Hermione blocked out what everyone else in the courtroom was saying whilst she took a moment to consider what had happened. It was clear that Ron wanted Malfoy locked up for a very long time but Harry had been able to see past his previous hatred for him so that he could give evidence that would help the court, not try to push in one direction or another.

She realised that Draco was now being led back in to the courtroom and Harry and Ron had taken their places once again.

"All those in favour of finding the defendant guilty of conspiring with the dark wizard known as Lord Voldemort raise your hand." Kingsley said rather loudly before looking around to see that only around ten members of the court had raised their hands.

"All those in favour of finding the defendant not guilty of conspiring with the dark wizard known as Lord Voldemort raise your hand!" Kingsley exclaimed as he thrust his own hand into the air.

Hermione, along with the remaining forty or so members, followed suit and it was evident that the court believed Harry's point over Ron's.

"Mr Malfoy, you have admitted to the use of Unforgiveable curses, for which you shall attend the new rehabilitation centre and shall have your wand monitored for an initial period of six months. On the charge of conspiring with Lord Voldemort the court has found you not guilty and you are hereby free to go."

Hermione couldn't remember a time that she had seen one person look so relieved.

"As you are discharged from Azkaban you will need to report to a Ministry official with your new address and guardian to confirm that you are adhering to your terms. You have one week." Kingsley finished by slamming his gavel on the desk in front of him and closing the session.

"I'll see you after lunch Hermione," he told her as he rose from his seat and left.

Hermione gathered her things and exited the courtroom and found Draco Malfoy hanging around.

"How are you?" she asked as she approached him.

"Better now thanks. Look, could you tell Pot- Harry that I'm grateful for what he said in there? I'm pretty sure what he said got me off the serious charges and I really appreciate it."

"I'll tell him for you," Hermione smiled. "So are you heading back to live with your mother? I heard that she was back in your house again."

"Yeah she is but I'd rather not go back, there are so many horrible memories in that place. I'll find something though."

"If you need any help let me know, ok? I'd hate to see you getting into any more trouble because you can't decide on a place to live." She smiled and excused herself as she noticed Harry and Ron waiting up ahead for her.

She felt a sense of relief knowing that Draco Malfoy was going to be ok, a strange thought but a good one. She wanted to talk to him and let him know that she was moving on from the war and he should too and by offering help she hoped that he would feel that way too.

"What was Malfoy saying?" Ron asked as she finally caught up to them.

"He wanted me to thank Harry actually; he's convinced that your word in the courtroom saved him from a worse fate."

"I just told the truth, surely even he realises that." Harry replied.

"True, but maybe he didn't expect you too, especially after Ron's testimony."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Ron asked her, a little annoyed.

"It means that you were still too angry at Draco for all of the things that happened whilst we were at school to be completely honest. Perhaps it's time that you grew up Ronald!" She felt a little flushed as she stormed back up the steps and into the lift, determined to go and clear her head before the next trial in the afternoon.

Finally, after two former Death Eaters had been sent back to Azkaban, Hermione was done for the day and she returned to Fred and George's flat with hopes of being cheered up. She arrived to the smell of roast chicken and George telling Angelina some hilarious story on the sofa.

"Evening Granger, and to what do we owe this pleasure?" he grinned at her.

"I thought I'd grace your dear brother with my company if that's alright with you?" she grinned back before following the smell of the food into the kitchen.

"Hello love, how was your day?" Fred asked as he caught sight of her.

"Hard. It was the first of the trials, Draco Malfoy's trial was first."

"How did it go? Can you even talk about it?"

"It's all going to be in the prophet tomorrow morning anyway. Ron and Harry gave testaments and Harry pretty much saved him from going back to Azkaban by saying that he wasn't a deranged murderer and that he wasn't a risk to the public."

"Really? That's pretty decent of them both!"

"It was pretty decent of Harry. Ron, on the other hand, was a lot more negative and proclaimed to the court that Draco was and always will be a Death Eater."

"He said that in court?"

"He told the entire Wizenagamot! I don't know if he's going through a phase right now but it just seems as if he's just so angry all of the time and I'm worried about him! I think we need to check that he's ok."

"I'm not his favourite person at the moment, maybe for now it'd be better if you went by yourself, or with Harry at least?" Fred told her.

"That's true, I'll catch him tomorrow at the Ministry."

Conversation quickly turned away from Ron and work and before she knew it she was sat down having dinner with the Twins and Angelina, allowing her to unwind from her stressful day and think of anything but the Ministry and trials.


	7. Chapter 6: Something Old, Something New

Harry and Hermione had agreed to go and visit Ron the following Saturday at the Burrow and were planning to try and reconnect with him, or at least see what was making him so angry. Fred had offered to give her a pep talk and give her a list of "sure fire things that will make Ron stop being such a git". As tempting as it had been to ask for said list, Hermione decided that her best effort would be to sit down with him and address the issue head on. However, knowing Ron and his temper, she wasn't even sure if it would work, she was just so desperate to have her life back to normal and that meant dealing with Ronald Weasley. Fred hadn't offered the pep talk again but had instead taken to promising all of the ways that he and George could torture their little brother for not moving on. She had laughed at that, much to his amusement, and promised that if all Ron needed was a punch then they would have to get in line.

She was ridiculously nervous and anxious to fix things with Ron before they got too bad to fix.

Hermione was in her flat trying to tame her hair when Harry arrived. She heard him knock on the front door and she left her place from in front of her full length mirror to let him in.

"I'm nearly ready, I thought I'd at least make an effort." She told him as she tried to set her hair into neat curls.

"You're really nervous aren't you?"

"A little, yes. I haven't seen Ron properly in weeks and he's been so angry…"

"Hermione, it's going to be fine, I promise." Harry gave her a smile.

"I'm just so scared that he gets really angry at me again. I just want to sort everything out so that we can all move on like adults."

"I know that and he probably does too which is all the more reason for us to go and do this."

She knew that he was right but it still made her nervous to picture Ron screaming at her that night in the Twins flat. She finished with her hair and found Harry waiting for her in the living room.

"We best get going, you know how Molly gets if we're late."

Hermione mumbled an agreement and took Harry's arm to apparate to the Burrow nonetheless.

They arrived to a hug from Molly and they were informed that Ron was out in the garden.

They found Ron sat in a lonely chair at the bottom of the garden. He looked miserable.

"Hi Ron," Hermione said cheerfully as they approached him.

"What are you two doing here?"

"It's Saturday, we told you that we were coming, remember?"

"Oh yeah…I'd forgotten." He told them before an awkward silence ensued.

"Is everything ok with you Ron? You've just seemed so…angry recently and we're worried about you." She felt that a head on approach was the best way to tackle it rather than dancing around the issue.

He didn't answer her. Instead Ron looked out across the fields that surrounded the Burrow and acted as if she hadn't even spoken.

"Ron I just want things to go back to normal again, can you please let me in on whatever's wrong?"

"You really don't see how much you've hurt me do you?" he told them quietly.

"I'm going to give you two some time to talk this through." Harry told them and quickly slipped away back to the house.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"Picture this. You're in love with someone for four years but they don't realise. You'd do anything for this person and then you finally get that chance with them and it's bloody perfect. But they don't agree so they call it off before it can even start. Then, and here's the kicker, you have to find out at a party that not only has that person been spending a lot of time with your sibling, they're dating them too! So you watch the one person that you love the most in the world love someone else. Which would be fine if it was a complete stranger. But it's not. It's my brother and I see you all of the time with him and it's _killing_ me Hermione!"

Ron looked distraught by the time that he had finished.

"Oh." Was all that she could reply.

"I tell you all of that and all you can say is oh?"

"I'm sorry Ron, I really am. But things between you and I and then things between Fred and I are completely different."

"I was there for you for seven years when we kissed and Fred was there for five minutes before you got together, I just don't understand."

"Fred and I have a history, a connection that I don't have with anyone else."

"You and Fred barely interacted the entire time that we were at school, you always gave them into trouble and they didn't even listen to you half the time so please tell me how you have this "connection" and that it's special."

"There's more to it than the few conversations that everyone saw. Fred was my first kiss under the mistletoe in Grimmauld Place. He and George listened to me when I told them off for their plans and they sought me out for advice. I can't believe that I'm even telling you this but I lost my virginity to Fred on my seventeenth birthday so there is a lot more to this than you think you know!"

Ron recoiled as if he had been hit. His face was turning a bright shade of red and it was creeping up into his ears.

"So there never was a chance for us because you were too busy with my brother?" he asked her.

"There was a chance Ron and we took it when we were in the Chamber of Secrets but it just wasn't right. Not for me anyway and I thought that making that decision when I did was the one that was going to hurt you the least."

"It was always going to hurt to see you with him and I can't stand it."

"I'm really sorry Ron, I mean it." She reached out to take his hand.

"You should have thought of that before you slept with Fred." He snatched his hand away from her.

"That's not fair Ron. There was nothing romantic between us at that time and I didn't realise that I had to get your permission to date somebody. I really want us to be close again because I miss you but I think you need to remember that you are my best friend and not my father or my boyfriend. The choices that I make, even if they are stupid, are mine alone to make."

There was silence as Hermione's words clung to the air.

"I'll see you inside for dinner." He got up from his seat and retreated into the house, leaving Hermione completely confused and a little annoyed.

Harry found her there a few minutes later and asked what had happened.

"I really do see why I hurt him and I am sorry for that. But he can't keep holding it against me, it's just not fair!"

"He'll come around eventually, hopefully before the wedding, and he'll move on, he just hasn't met the right with yet."

"I hope that's all it is. It just feels as if I've destroyed him, I can see it when I look at him and he hates us." She sighed.

As she and Harry returned to the Twins' flat that she finally explained the conversation to them. Once she was finished she nearly laughed at the two men as they were staring at her with their mouths wide open.

Harry bid his farewell to her not long afterwards and Hermione made her way to bed, wondering just when Ron would talk to her again.

The answer came on the night before Ginny and Harry's wedding, nearly two months later, as they all squashed around the table at the Burrow, and Mrs Weasley tried not to cry. Even Charlie had arrived from Romania, complete with burned forearm which had landed him in trouble with Molly. Hermione was wedged in between Fred and George, who was awaiting Angelina's arrival later in the evening, with Ron directly opposite her. She had given him a smile as she had sat down but he hadn't returned it. Fred leaned in to press a kiss to the top of her head.

"Don't worry about it love," he said quietly before he shot Ron a look.

"What was that for?" he retorted.

"For acting like a child and ignoring Hermione."

"You can't help but rub it in can you Fred?"

"Grow up Ron." Fred sighed but Hermione felt his hand tighten its grip on hers.

"That's enough from both of you," she told them before turning to chat with George.

As the meal wound down Ginny excused herself and Hermione, citing "Bridal Duties". She kissed Harry goodbye, as the boys were travelling back to Grimmauld Place until the ceremony the following day.

Once they finally reached Ginny's old bedroom she collapsed onto the bed and pulled Hermione down with her.

"I'm getting married tomorrow can you believe it!?"

"Not really Gin. It seems like it wasn't that long since you and Harry were being all cute in the common room at Hogwarts!"

"I know…well it wasn't really. We've been together for two years which doesn't even seem that long but after the war, when Harry felt really liberated he decided that he couldn't wait any longer and that we just had to get married."

"I couldn't think of a happier couple right now," Hermione smiled at her best friend.

"I can!"

"Who?"

"You and Fred!"

"I wouldn't say that we were happier, it's not us getting married tomorrow!"

"I know that, but he's told me how important you are to him and I think it's really sweet, Fred's not exactly the one that we thought would be settling down anytime soon. But seriously, even though Ron's been a douche about it, it doesn't mean that the rest of us aren't thrilled, Mum especially."

Due to Ginny's excitement the girls had a late night, aided by Angelina's arrival once she had finished work at 10pm. They caught up with her into the early hours and it was only once Ginny checked the time that she realised that she should get some sleep.

"I'll be a hideous bride if I don't get some sleep now!"

"Ginny you will never be a hideous bride but you should definitely get some sleep!"

Hermione bid goodnight to both girls before she finally curled up under her covers and slipped into a deep sleep. She felt as if she had been asleep for a matter of minutes when Ginny woke her by jumping on her whilst she screamed "I'M GETTING MARRIED TODAAAAAAY!"

Hermione couldn't help but burst into a smile and tear up a little as it hit her: they were finally adults and this was the first very important moment in their adult lives.

They made their way downstairs with Angelina to have breakfast where they found Mr and Mrs Weasley and Fleur chatting excitedly as Fleur nursed Victoire.

"Good morning girls!" Arthur called from his place at the head of the table as Molly began to tear up.

"Muuuuum!" Ginny groaned, "It's first thing in the morning, you can't be crying now!"

"I know but you're our baby and only girl and now you're getting married! I-I just can't believe it!" she managed between sniffles.

Ginny dismissed her mother and sat down at the table, pulling everything that she could get her hands on onto her plate. Hermione followed suit, guessing that it would a long time until she had another proper meal.

"So how are things with you and George?" Ginny asked Angelina.

"Good I think, he's a little quieter than I'd thought he was at school, maybe he's just grown up." She laughed.

Hermione decided to intervene, "It's because he's ridiculously nervous because he really likes you. I was at their flat the night before he asked you to be his girlfriend and he was debating whether or not it was time to ask you and whether or not you'd say yes. You make George Weasley nervous, if that's not something special then I don't know what is!"

She watched as Angelina began to blush and then burst out laughing.

"Am I allowed to tell him that I know that?"

"He'll absolutely kill me but of course you can, it's totally worth it!"

"Thanks Hermione," Angelina told her honestly. "You both know as well as I do that George isn't all that great at being serious so it's nice to know that he does really like me!"

"Don't be so silly! I haven't seen George this happy in forever. I'm glad of it too, he was getting a bit mopey when Fred took a fancy to Hermione!" Ginny grinned at her best friend which earned her an elbow in the ribs from Hermione.

"Eat up girls, big day ahead of you!" Mr Weasley called to them as he went outside to see how the preparations were going.

As much as they all wanted to continue larking around they all knew that he was right. Hermione also knew that Ginny might send a pretty mean hex at whoever disrupted the perfection of her big day so took to her plate of food and gobbled it down.


	8. Chapter 7: Harry Gets Married

Before they knew it they were being ushered upstairs to start being pampered and preened, a good three hours before they were even due back downstairs for the ceremony.

Hermione took a long shower as Ginny was having her hair tamed by Fleur. She used the hot water to undo all of the knots she'd built up in her shoulders and then untangled her hair from its top knot to lather it in shampoo and conditioner. It was only when Angelina knocked on the door to check if she was alright that she realised that she had been in there for longer than she anticipated and she reached to turn the water off.

Upon returning to Ginny's room she found her best friend half way through her bridal transition. Ginny had her hair in several elaborate plaits which were then twisted and tied on the back of her head and Fleur was in the middle of applying makeup to her face.

"Ginny your hair is gorgeous!"

"Thanks, I've wanted to have it like this ever since we decided on the dress!" she grinned back at her.

"You arr next Hermione!" Fleur addressed her.

Hermione couldn't help but notice that Fleur was already dressed and ready to go down to the ceremony.

"How did you manage to get ready so fast?" she asked her.

"I started to get ready when you were 'aving breakfast. Molly 'as Victoire at the moment so I weel get her once I am done here."

As Ginny slipped out of the chair twenty minutes later it was Hermione's turn and Fleur set about curling her hair before pinning it loosely above her shoulders.

"The flowers weel go een once you arr dressed." Fleur informed her as her hairstyle was completed.

"Thank you Fleur, it looks so lovely!"

"It was nothing. Ginny says that your dress ees lilacey grey?"

"Yes it is, I think it's hanging in the wardrobe."

Fleur rushed over and threw the wardrobe doors open before rushing back over and deciding on which colours would best suit Hermione's face and dress. Hermione watched in amazement as Fleur transformed her face before her very eyes. The mauve eye shadow matched her dress perfectly and the black eyeliner framed her small brown eyes. She was amazed right down to the second that Fleur finished with a sweep of deep purple lipstick.

If she had only just been faced with a mirror she doubted that she would have recognised herself. Her skin was completely even in tone and fleur had even managed to get her to look a little less pale. She loved the colour of the lipstick the most, she would have to remember and find out from Fleur where she had bought it, and looking at herself in the mirror she saw that she could pass as more than just pretty sometimes.

Thrilled with her look, she thanked Fleur and was then left alone with Ginny for the two girls to dress.

"Do you think Harry will like it?" Ginny asked as Hermione laced the back of her dress up for her.

"I hope that was a joke. You look gorgeous and the dress is gorgeous, you have nothing to worry about!"

Lacing the dress was a difficult and intricate job and Hermione was trying her hardest to make sure that Ginny could still breathe, despite her best friend continuously telling her to pull it tighter.

"If I pull much more you'll pass out from lack of oxygen!" Hermione warned her.

Twenty minutes after she had started and the dress was finally finished being laced. Ginny turned around and Hermione let out an audible gasp.

"Oh Ginny you look perfect!" Hermione squealed as she felt tears welling in her eyes.

She hadn't lied either. Ginny's makeup was similar to Hermione's, with the same colours used, but it was the dress that really made her look incredible.

It was simple and elegant with a tight beaded corset that filled out into a floating a line skirt but it was clearly the perfect dress for Ginny. Her hair sat upon her head looked almost like a crown and the small flowers were pinned neatly into place on the right hand side of her head. Now that Ginny was standing right in front of her in the dress Hermione began to believe that this was all really happening.

"Shut up! Let's get you into your dress!" Ginny grinned as Hermione fetched her dress from the wardrobe.

Hermione's dress was floor length like Ginny's but whether her wedding dress had a wide skirt, Hermione's bridesmaid dress was straight and swept at her toes, just perfectly missing the floor. She had originally been a little apprehensive of the strapless dress, it wasn't anything that she was used to wearing and she was scared that it would look ridiculous on her but as soon as Ginny had seen it she had insisted that it was the dress that Hermione wore. It felt a little as if she was some princess from some of the muggle fairy tales that she would spend hours reading and analysing as a child.

There was a knock at the door and Angelina entered once Ginny called her in.

"The boys have just arrived so that's your twenty minute warning! You both look fantastic by the way!" Angelina had opted for a mid-length gold dress that shimmered with every move that she made.

"Thanks Angelina! I guess we'll see you down there?" Ginny asked a little nervously.

"Of course you will, I am not this dressed up for nothing!" She laughed and left the two girls alone once again.

There was another knock at the door and Hermione answered it.

"Harry what are you doing here?"

"He can't see me, it's bad luck!"

"I won't come in, I just want to pass this on to you and tell you that I can't wait for you to be Mrs Potter. I'll be waiting at the top of the aisle for you. I love you Ginny Weasley."

"I love you too Harry Potter, I'll see you soon!"

He passed Hermione a small, wrapped present and then left as quickly as he had arrived.

"Open it Ginny!" Hermione said excitedly as she thrust the present into her hands.

Ginny unwrapped it quickly to reveal a small jewellery box with a beautiful silver heart shaped locket. As they opened the locket they saw that Harry had put in a photo of himself and Ginny at the party when they announced that they were engaged.

Ginny was beginning to cry so Hermione pulled her into a hug and tried to change the mood.

"How nervous are you?" Hermione asked.

"I feel like I might throw up. I won't though. But everything I ate this morning is just churning around in there." Ginny told her with a laugh.

"It's going to be great, I can't believe that this is actually happening though!"

"Me neither, it's crazy!"

"It really is. I'm so happy for you both though, you know that right?"

"Of course I do Mione, there's no one else I'd rather was here with me right now!" Ginny grinned at her before she went over the ceremony once more in her head.

By the time she was finished Mr Weasley had arrived at their room to escort them down.

"Oh Ginny you look beautiful." He said softly as he pulled his only daughter to him and gave her a hug.

He held her tightly for a few seconds before separating them and staring at Ginny in her dress. He let out a huge sigh and smiled widely at her.

"Let's go and get you married shall we?" he asked and took her by the arm, indicating for Hermione to follow them.

At the bottom of the stairs they found Ron in the kitchen with Mrs Weasley, who was fussing over his hair and his dress robes. They both stopped and stared in awe as Ginny and Hermione made their way into the centre of the room and Mrs Weasley enveloped them both into a hug and began to cry. Hermione felt her own eyes well up and quickly told herself not to be so silly so early into the day.

"You both look so lovely!" Molly told them.

"Thanks mum, I just want to run out there and marry him right now!"

"Well I better get out there with Ronald and let them know that you're ready!" Molly began to scurry out of the kitchen and out into the garden, where the enormous marquee was set up for the ceremony.

"Hermione I just wanted to say that you look really nice." Ron gave her a small smile and looked down at his feet.

"Thanks Ronald," she told him before he too rushed from the kitchen before they could have a proper conversation.

With that they promptly heard the music start and Hermione made her way to the end of the marquee, where she saw that everyone was standing and turned around to watch her, and then Ginny and Arthur, walk down the aisle. As she made her way down she was greeted by smiles of so many people that she knew, from people that went to Hogwarts with them to Kingsley and Professor McGonagall who were seated right behind the Weasleys. She finally made it to the front of the crowd and made her way to Harry, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"She looks beautiful, you're a very lucky guy," she grinned before she took her place opposite them at the front.

She caught Fred's eye and he was grinning at her before he gave her a wink.

Ginny began to make her way down the aisle to multiple "Oooo's" and "Aaaah's" before she finally got to the front where Arthur passed her over to Harry and wished them a life of happiness.

The ceremony was beautiful and Hermione was so glad to be a part of her best friends promising to spend their lives together. As Ginny and Harry both said "I do", the entire marquee erupted into applause and cheers to see their hero from the war marry his sweetheart. Hermione and Ron exchanged a look of understanding and a smile and she already knew that their feud was over. They could no longer go on without talking to one another as they had used to and having bitterness between them on such a happy occasion. It was time that they both grew up and moved on and she knew that they would be able to.

She and Ron linked arms and followed behind Harry and Ginny, being showered in confetti and cheers. As they finally stepped outside they were bathed in warm sunlight and they both ran forwards to embrace Harry and Ginny. Before they knew it photographs were being taken of them like that and Hermione knew that they would be the special kind that wizards had, the ones that moved forever after the photo had been taken and that this moment would be so special to them always.

"I'm sorry." Ron said quietly into her ear and she felt her eyes fill a little with tears.

"Me too," she replied and felt for his hand to give it a small squeeze.

She felt as if things were right again and that Harry and Ginny getting married had truly started their adult lives the right way, regardless of the last year that she had felt so awful. As much as she and Ron had almost despised each other it was also the right time for them to move on from it and they could now all carry the day on in true bliss.

Fred found her shortly afterwards and pressed kisses to the top of her head.

"You look so beautiful." He told her.

"You haven't scrubbed up to badly yourself," she grinned back at him jokingly before she leaned up and gently pressed her lips to his.

"Bridal party for photographs!" the photographer called and Hermione was rushed over for numerous shots.

She had photos taken with Harry, Ginny and Ron, with the Weasley's, with Kingsley and other ministry officials, with their old Professor's, with Harry and Ron, with Ginny….the list was endless.

By the end of it all of them were starving and were glad to see that the marquee had been transformed for their meal and dancing, and it was perfect.

Several hours later and she and Fred were rather merry and roaring with laughter with Bill, Charlie, George, Angelina, Sirius and Remus. Fleur was nearby, at the corner of the dance floor, supervising Teddy and Victoire attempting to dance like all of the adults.

"When we were in fifth year Prongs and I thought that it would be a great idea to climb onto the roof! So we raced up there, got bored after ten minutes then discovered that it was a million times harder to get down than it was to get up. It took us six hours to climb back down! Why neither of us took our brooms is completely beyond me!" They were once again all roaring with laughter at the image of Sirius and Harry's Dad stuck on the roof at Hogwarts.

As the song that was playing finished and another started Fred sprung to his feet and took Hermione with him.

"My darling Hermione, will you do me the honour of dancing with me?" he asked with a wink.

"Fred I'm useless at dancing!"

"Go on!" Everyone else at the table urged her before she gave in and allowed Fred to drag her to the dance floor, past the stumbling sight of Teddy and Victoire.

Fred wrapped an arm around her to pull her close and leaned his head down to hers.

"This could be us one day you know."

"Having our wedding?"

"Yeah. I've thought about it you know. Not seriously, not like I'm going to get down on one knee anytime in the near future but I think that one day it should be us." He smiled.

Hermione felt her eyes fill up with tears for the millionth time that day.

"Fred that's lovely, I'd love for this to be us one day." She told him honestly.

"That's all that I need to hear right now." He replied before he took her hands and began twirling her around the dance floor until she was certain that she was going to fall over.

As the night wound down Harry and Ginny reappeared from the Burrow with two suitcases and Harry announced that he was taking his wife away to Paris for the week. Before they apparated, they ran about saying quick goodbyes to everyone and as they reached Hermione she burst into a huge smile.

"Today has been perfect, which is no less than either of you deserved. I'm so happy for you both!"

"Thank you Mione and thank you for being such a huge part of it, you've been like family to me ever since we were eleven so it was so important to me that you were here." Harry gave her a kiss on the cheek and a hug before they had to move on once again.

As they waved their final goodbye and apparated from the Burrow she felt Fred's arms wrap around her and she twisted to face him.

"What do you say we head back to the flat? All of this wedding stuff has got me in the mood for romance…." He gave her a wink and whisked her back to the flat before she could so much as protest about being sociable.

* * *

><p><strong>This has been my favourite chapter to write so far because let's face it, who doesn't love a wedding!?<strong>

**L x**


	9. Chapter 8: Catching up and announcements

Hermione and Fred arrived back in the Twins' Flat to find it completely empty. George was obviously not returning that night and they decided to take full advantage of it. They were soon a mess of limbs and too many clothes as they kissed ferociously.

"We should have left the wedding hours ago," Fred moaned as he removed his shirt.

"Your mother would have killed you," Hermione replied as she turned to get him to unzip her dress.

"Don't talk about my mother when I'm taking your clothes off!"

"When you put it like that it sounds horrible!" she turned back to face him before pushing him over.

Fred grabbed her wrist and pulled her down with him, the two of them collapsing into kisses once again.

"Bedroom. Now." He told her and picked her smaller frame up before carrying her through to his room.

He placed her down gently and crawled onto the bed beside her before she pulled him to her lips once again.

"Hermione, I need you so badly right now…" he groaned

"Then hurry up already!"

They continued kissing for some time, Fred taking the lead and towering over Hermione, growling when she nipped playfully at his neck and causing moans to escape from her as his hands roamed her body. They had slept together numerous times since that first time on Hermione's 17th birthday but it had never been like this. There was an urgency to their actions as they rushed to remove their underwear, the last physical barrier between them, and as Fred finally thrust into her they both groaned in satisfaction.

Hermione wanted to scream at the intensity of the feelings she was having, she had no idea if it was the alcohol in her system or if it was really that intense. She decided not to care and instead focused on Fred's well-muscled chest, gained from hours upon hours of Quidditch practice and more recently hauling boxes in the shop, she pulled him closer and felt his chest against hers. Their breathing quickened with their pace and soon they were both crying out.

"Fred!" Hermione screamed over and over as she hit her peak.

She felt as if every nerve in her body was on fire, her brain was going in a million directions at once and the intensity of it all was enough to cause her to nearly pass out.

As Fred caught her from falling backwards she felt him stiffen underneath her.

"Ah-Merlin! F-f-fuck!" he groaned through gritted teeth and held Hermione a little tighter.

They stayed like that for several minutes before either of them came to their senses and they shuffled under the covers and into each other's arms.

The following morning they emerged from Fred's room feeling rather groggy and wrapped in the sheets. He had promised to make them bacon sandwiches and Hermione couldn't think of anything better to curb her hunger.

"Morning love birds!" George called from the sofa with a grin.

"I thought you stayed at Angelina's last night!?" Fred asked.

"She needed to be at home, her parents were visiting her this morning."

"And you couldn't be there too?"

"I figured that I would let her catch up on some sleep and be presentable in the morning, the complete opposite of you two I might add!" he laughed.

"I'm so mortified!" Hermione squealed and pulled the sheet up to her chin and around her shoulders.

"I'm not surprised, I think they heard you down in the Leaky Cauldron!"

"Don't say things like that George!" she shrieked, her cheeks turning an even deeper shade of crimson.

"Leave my fair lady alone Georgie, just because you were sleeping alone last night!"

"I may have been last night Freddie but I'm heading over to Angelina's now and I'll be there tonight and not disturbing anyone in the vicinity."

"You're clearly doing something wrong then!" Fred laughed wrapped an arm around Hermione. "To the kitchen my lady!" and he dragged her along to the kitchen so that he could make them breakfast.

The following week, once Ginny and Harry had returned from their honeymoon, Hermione made a point of going to visit them for dinner once she was finished work. Fred had agreed to accompany her and meet her outside Grimmauld Place.

They bumped into Ginny, fresh from her latest training practice, and made their way into the once derelict building.

"Hermione!" Harry ran from the other side of the table to wrap her in a hug before he shook Fred's hand.

"It's so good to see you, how was your honeymoon? I want to know all about it!" Hermione grinned as they took seats at either side of the table.

"Paris was so beautiful! I can't wait to go back for longer so that we can explore some more!" Ginny said, her expression turning dreamy at the thought. She slipped out to change before dinner

"Hermione! Fred! So good to see you!" Sirius boomed from the kitchen door.

"How are you Sirius?"

"Better now that I have a job to get away from these two, they're loved up and it's awful!"

"You're working with Remus aren't you?"

"Yeah we're working on werewolf rights, he's being terrific." Sirius beamed.

He said his goodbyes, saying that Teddy would berate him for being late, again.

"Sirius has been a huge support for Remus since the war. He had to come and stay here because his house was too hard for him to be in. We've all pitched in and helped with Teddy when he couldn't face getting out of bed but it's great to see him back on his feet again." Ginny said as she returned for dinner.

"I'm glad to hear that he's doing better, it was devastating when he lost Tonks so soon after Teddy was born," Hermione added.

"Definitely, I don't think he would have been able to do it without Sirius, they were both grieving for so many people and I know that Sirius still grieves for my parents as much as I do so they helped each other. However, let's eat!" Harry declared as he waved his wand to allow the plates of food to move swiftly onto the table.

"It looks incredible!" Hermione said in awe as their roast diner settled in front of them. It was clear that Harry and Ginny had taken a leaf out of Mrs Weasley's book and prepared a meal for a thousand rather than just four.

Over the course of the meal they found out all about Paris, a city full of love, creativity and beautiful scenery.

"I'm so jealous of your trip, it all sounds so amazing!" Hermione gushed once Ginny and Harry were finished.

"There is something else that we have to share," Harry shared a look with Ginny before grinning, "We're expecting a baby!"

Hermione rose to run to the other side and pull both Ginny and Harry into a hug with tears in her eyes.

"That's wonderful news! You two are going to make excellent parents!" She cooed once they pulled away.

Fred stepped over to clap Harry on the back and then pull his little sister into a hug.

"Mum's going to be thrilled when you tell her. Then she'll never leave you alone and make sure that you don't lift a finger."

"She's already offered to move in, that was after she stopped crying however." Ginny began to laugh.

"I just can't believe that you're going to be parents!" Hermione grinned before that sat back down again to have desert.

"Also, we haven't told anyone apart from my mum and dad, Sirius and you two so if you wouldn't mind we'd like to get around to doing that ourselves," she told them.

"Of course! That's understandable." Hermione replied.

Next to her Fred's face was twisted in an odd expression.

"You can tell George if you really have to, just not a word to anyone else!" Ginny said with a roll of her eyes.

The rest of the evening passed quickly as they caught up and discussed various plans for the impending new arrival and the near future. When 11pm arrived and Ginny began to yawn Hermione and Fred said their goodbyes and made their way back to her flat. They sat down with a cup of tea and rethought the big event of the evening.

"So I'm going to be an uncle." Fred said with a smirk.

"I know, isn't it exciting? We'll have another addition to our huge family," Hermione smiled back at him.

"Someday that can be us you know," he said as he wrapped an arm around her.

"I know it can, just not quite yet."

"You haven't changed nearly enough legislation in the Ministry to slow down to have a baby!" he laughed.

That night Hermione fell asleep dreaming of babies and weddings as she ran around Paris.

* * *

><p><strong>Apologies that it's been so long and that this is a little shorter than usual but I am however getting back in to writing again, so expect more very soon!<strong>

**L x**


	10. Chapter 9: Surprises

It had been well over a month since they had had dinner with Harry and Ginny and by now the whole family knew their news. They had already begun kitting out Grimmauld Place for the new arrival and it was enough for even Sirius to be excited. Harry revelled in showing her the wizard photograph of Ginny's first scan and Hermione had squealed as he handed it to her.

However, fast forward two more weeks and things were beginning to turn a little sour. Hermione stared at the potion that was currently facing her on the bathroom shelf with a blank expression. It had turned silver, as promised, and she wasn't quite sure what to do next.

"I have to tell Fred…" she muttered to herself before waving her wand over the vial that held the potion and making it disappear before her eyes.

She knew that Fred had already headed down to the shop for another busy Saturday and she only hoped that she would be able to call him away, even just for a few moments. Hermione thought it best to calm her nerves before she faced Fred and so she took to the shower, allowed the steam to cloud the room and cleared her head. She managed to find some jeans and a jumper that she had left on a previous visit and then nipped out of the flat and down to the shop.

Although it was busy, Fred and George had ample numbers of staff covering the shop floor. She found Verity supervising a new girl on their old rusty till.

"Hi Verity! Have you seen Fred about? I need a quick word with him."

"Morning Hermione! He and George are in the back room testing new products."

"Thank you!" Hermione made her way through the crowds of customers until she reached a small door hidden behind a curtain that was marked "Weasleys only".

As she entered she ducked and narrowly missed being hit by a long flame which she discovered was coming from a box that George was holding.

"Sorry love, you really should have knocked!" Fred laughed.

Hermione gave a little smile before asking George if she could have a moment alone with Fred.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Fred asked as soon as they were alone. He took her over to the small armchair that sat in the corner of the room and crouched beside her. "I can tell something's bothering you love."

"I'm pregnant."

There was a moments silence as Hermione looked at her feet and Fred tried to process the revelation.

"Are you sure?" He took her hands in his.

"The potion is never wrong. It turned silver almost instantly."

"You know that I will support you with whatever you choose to do."

"I want to keep it." Hermione didn't know when she had decided that but it felt as if it was her only option. "I know that we're not ready but I can't bear the thought of choosing not to keep a baby, I really can't."

"Then we're keeping it and we'll do it together, I promise."

Hermione was now crying, her eyes welling up as Fred told her that he would stand by her.

"I'm scared Fred, we weren't expecting this and I don't know if we're ready!"

"I'm scared too but I won't leave you on your own, I'll support you the whole way through this, I promise."

"Th-thank you Freddie! I was scared to tell you, I didn't know how you'd react and I-"

"Ssshhh, it's alright love," he stood and pulled her into his side. "We'll be a family, the three of us."

He took her back up to the flat and wrapped her in a blanket before making her a mug of hot tea and finding one of the many books that she had left there.

"I'll be done in a couple of hours and then we can sit together and figure out what we do next. I just have one request."

"What is it?"

"That I can tell George, he won't tell anyone else but he'll know that I'm keeping something from him, Twin intuition and all that."

"That's fine, I'll see you in a couple of hours."

He kissed her forehead and left her to bury herself in her battered copy of Romeo and Juliet before he returned a few hours later. The shop had been locked up for the day and the customers were all sent home happy and Fred and George arrived back in the flat determined to look after Hermione. Upon arrival, George wandered to the sofa and wrapped his arms around her without a single word and took her empty mug to refill it in the kitchen.

"He gets it because I get it, love," Fred told her as she looked confused.

"I appreciate that I suppose," she told him as she sat up and made space for him.

She had barely moved since he left her, instead she had lay down and stayed in the foetal position until she eventually numbed herself.

"I can barely comprehend what's happening right now. We're not like Harry and Ginny, who have been ready for this ever since the war ended. We aren't in the same position at all. We aren't settled, Christ we've been together for less than a year!" her chest began to tighten as she thought about all of the things that weren't right about the situation.

"Love, I know that you said that you want to keep the baby, and I totally support you, but I need to know that you've considered other options, just given how stressed you are thinking about it." He took her hand and rubbed circles on the back of it to soothe her.

"I've barely given any thought to it. But perhaps we should go St. Mungo's and have a chat with a healer about it?"

"We can head in, in the morning. Until then, you need a good night's sleep," he kissed the top of her head before leading her through to his bedroom and wrapping her in the duvet.

As Hermione tried to sleep all that she could think of was why she couldn't feel the same joy that seemed to radiate off of Harry and Ginny. All that she wanted was to be happy that she and Fred were going to bring another life into the world and yet at the same time she couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't right.

Her stomach churned something awful as they walked through the doors of St Mungo's the following morning.

"Welcome to St Mungo's, what can I help you with?" The pretty receptionist asked as they approached.

"We'd like to speak with one of the healer's in the family planning ward, is Marlene in today?" Hermione asked.

The receptionist span around in her chair to take a look at the rota behind her.

"She is and she's free in twenty minutes so I could fit you in then?"

"That would be perfect."

"And your name please?"

"Hermione Granger."

"Thank you Miss Granger that's on the third floor, opposite the doors for the magical bug ward," she smiled at them as they turned away and headed for the stairs.

"Marlene's husband works in the Ministry, he's a department head." Hermione told Fred as they made their way up the narrow staircase that led between each floor.

They reached the third floor and went through the small door which was marked "Family Planning Ward" and took two of the many free seats in the waiting area. Hermione picked up an old, battered copy of Witch Weekly and began flipping through it absentmindedly, not even bothering to look at the content as she passed each page.

Fred sensed her nerves and took the magazine from her and replaced it with his hand.

"It's going to be fine, love."

Hermione didn't reply and instead looked at their interlocked fingers.

"Hermione Granger?" The voice called from the other end of the waiting room.

They rose and walked towards her, following her into the small office.

Marlene was in her late thirties, with a plump physique and always a warm smile on her face. Hermione had frequently met her at Ministry events that she attended with her husband.

"How have you been Hermione?"

"Quite well thank you."

"Would you like some tea?"

"No thanks, we just really need some advice today."

"Of course, what can I do for you?"

"We recently discovered that I'm pregnant but we're really not sure if we're ready for it. We wanted to know our options, at least just to consider."  
>"I completely understand, it can be quite daunting, especially when it's a surprise." The older healer told her. "Here at St Mungo's we have an excellent maternity ward with an array of services, should you decide to continue your pregnancy. However, should you decide that you aren't ready to keep your baby we have two options: we can terminate the pregnancy, given that you are early enough into the pregnancy, or you can choose to give your baby up for adoption. We have a full range of services here to support you in any decision that you take."<p>

Hermione realised that she had taken Fred's hand once again as she turned to look at him.

"What happens if I choose not to continue the pregnancy?" Hermione asked timidly after a moment.

"We would book you in for an overnight appointment. You arrive in the early evening and we make you comfortable in your own room and then we provide you with a potion which will terminate the pregnancy."

"Why do I need to be in overnight?"

"We need to wait and make sure that we can monitor you whilst your pregnancy ends."

"But we have magic, there isn't some easy way that just makes it go away?" Hermione's eyes were tearing as she thought about all of the hours that would pass whilst she thought about letting go of the tiny little life inside of her.

"I'm afraid not dear, not in this case. It's far too delicate a thing for us to meddle too much in with magic. This is the safest way if you choose to pursue that option."

"Do you have any information about the adoption process? It's something that we would have a little more time to think about." Fred asked.

"Of course, if you give me a moment I can fetch you the relevant information pack. I'll just be a moment," she said as she quickly left the office.

"Are you ok Mione?" Fred asked as he turned to face her.

"I-I don't know. I know it's her job but she talks about terminating a pregnancy like it's fixing a broken arm or something! Can I really just get rid of something that would grow to become our child?"

"I understand, but we don't have to decide today."

Marlene returned at that point and handed Fred a small leaflet.

"I know it's not very much information but I don't want to overload you today, I understand that this is a difficult process for you and that you can't make a decision straight away. However you can owl me at any point should you have any queries."

"Thank you so much Marlene, we really needed some sort of guidance." Hermione told her.

"Of course! Like I said, any time you need anything, let me know," she smiled at them as they rose and left the office.

Hermione and Fred said very little as they returned to the flat above the shop. It wasn't until they were sat in Fred's bedroom that they spoke about what happened.

"How do you feel love?" he asked her.

"Sick," she admitted. "It feels like too much of a huge decision for me to be making."

"That's why I'm here to make it with you, I promise."

"I think…."

"Yeah?"

"I think we need to keep the baby. I know it's not ideal but I can't bear the thought of getting rid of our child Freddie!" she cried as she wrapped her arms around him.

Fred took a deep breath as he thought about it.

"We're having a baby then!" Fred shouted enthusiastically and pulled Hermione to her feet on the bed and began bouncing and screaming that they were having baby until they both collapsed in fits of laughter.

* * *

><p><strong>So as the chapter title indicates, this was a chapter of surprises. Bear with me on this one though!<strong>

**L x**


	11. Chapter 10: Sharing the Joy

Hermione was nervous as she tidied her flat. She was being far too thorough, to the extent that she was straightening all of the books on her enormous bookshelf and polishing her kitchen sink. She had decided that she needed to tell Ginny about her pregnancy, after all she was going through the same thing and Fred had already told George.

Her doorbell rang twenty minutes later and she opened it to find Ginny with a small bump. Hermione could barely believe how busy she was keeping herself; it was as if she was determined not to be slowed down whilst she was pregnant.

"How can you be showing already? You only told us about a month ago!"

"That was just after we'd had our first midwife appointment, I'm just over 4 months now!"

"Wow, I can't believe that time's passed so quickly! Come in, I'll put the kettle on for us."

Hermione led the way into the spacious kitchen in her flat and filled the kettle so that could make tea for them both.

"So how have things been?" Hermione asked as the kettle boiled.

"A little hectic. We've been babysitting for Bill and Fleur to get a feel for things and Harry and Sirius are trying to do diy through the house to get ready for the baby and I'm already itching to get back on my broom!"

"Surely you won't be able to fly for a while though?"

"Yeah I was supposed to have trials last month but obviously bump meant that I had to postpone it. Luckily they're interested enough that I'll get to try out next year. At least that's what my agent is telling me." Ginny's agent, Harriet, was a tough talker and took no nonsense when it came to her clients. As a result, when Ginny became pregnant, she demanded that the teams interested in taking her on showed some compassion and waited until next year when she would be returning to professional Quidditch.

"You'll have no trouble being taken on by a team, regardless of when it is," Hermione told her.

"That's what Harry says. I know he wishes that he could play too, but he knows how important it is that he works for the Ministry. I suppose none of us thought that our adult lives would be anything like this!" she laughed as she took the mug of steaming tea from her friend.

"Definitely not. I didn't think that I'd be advisor to the Minister for magic for one thing!"

"And Ron as an auror? I didn't picture that, I thought he'd maybe do something like Fred and George, or help them at least."

"And who could have predicted that I'd end up with your brother?"

"Well we all predicted that it would be Ron so when we discovered that it was Fred that was a shocker!"

"It sounds pretty bad when you say it like that!" Hermione laughed.

"Well it's not as bad as it sounds, I can promise you that. Besides, Fred is so smitten with you that we could hardly see either of you with anyone else. We're all happy for you."

Hermione took a deep breath and decided that there was no better time to break the news to Ginny.

"Speaking of being happy, I have a little news that I'd like to share with you, but I'd like to ask you to keep it to yourself just now, you can't even tell Harry yet."

"Of course! Anything at all, what is it?"

"Fred and I are expecting a baby." Hermione realised as soon as she said it that she didn't sound the least bit pleased.

"That's wonderful news Hermione! You don't sound too happy though, if you don't mind me saying."

"It's not that we're not happy about it, it's just that it was a complete shock. We've only just decided that we're keeping the baby."

"I completely understand, I wouldn't have penned you two as rushing to start your family. If you need anything at all you know that Harry and I are always there and we'll be going through the same things too."

"Thanks Gin. We need to tell my parents and your family next so that will be fun."

"When are you doing that?"

"I'm seeing my parents tomorrow morning and then we're telling your family at dinner tomorrow."

"Fingers crossed for you that it all goes well. I unfortunately have to go for now, Harry is meeting me to shop for some baby things, he just had to nip into work first."

The girls said their goodbyes and Hermione set about preparing herself for the following day.

As she met Fred for lunch Hermione's stomach was churning and she knew that it wasn't morning sickness.

"Hello love, shall we go get a table?" Fred asked as she approached the small café.

She followed him inside to a table for two by the window and ordered a small bowl of soup to curb her hunger. By the end of the meal, Hermione realised that she had barely been paying attention to anything that Fred had said, let alone carried a conversation with him.

"It's going to be alright, everyone's going to be over the moon for us." Fred told her as they prepared to apparated to her parents' house.

"I just feel like mum and dad will be disappointed, they've always expected so much from me…" she trailed off.

"I think that they're going to support you because they love you."

As always, Fred was correct. Once they had sat down and announced that they were having a baby, Mr and Mrs Granger were thrilled.

"Hermione darling that's such great news!" her mum cried as she ran over to hug her daughter.

"I was so nervous to tell you both!"

"It's a bit of a shock," her dad admitted, "but we know you and we know that you know what you're doing."

"Have you thought about things for when the baby is born? You know that you're always welcome to come back here if you want some more help."

"Mum, we haven't even told everyone yet so we haven't given any thought to anything really. But I promise I'll let you know as soon as we need any help."

The conversation soon turned away from Hermione's pregnancy to discuss Ginny and Harry and the rest of the Weasley clan. Before they knew it they were running late to be at the Burrow and they hurriedly made their goodbyes.

"Take care sweetheart," Mr Granger told her as he hugged her.

"I will Dad, I'll see you soon."

"Yes, we'll definitely see you soon Hermione," Mrs Granger added before she kissed Hermione on the cheek.

As they left her parents' house, Hermione felt far more relieved than when they had gone in.

"Just your family to tell now!" Hermione grinned.

"And we all know that, that will be absolutely fine. Shall we love?" he held his arm out for them to apparate.

They arrived at the Burrow as everyone was taking their seats around the large kitchen table. Hermione said a quick hello to Mr and Mrs Weasley before slipping in beside Ginny. Within minutes Mrs Weasley was serving enormous portions of steak pie with mashed potatoes and vegetables to everyone and as her plate arrived in front of her, Hermione was overwhelmed at the sheer amount of food in front of her.

As she began to take bites of the food her stomach began to churn. She quickly turned to Fred to express her worry.

"Our new little friend doesn't particularly like meat it would seem."

"Just give things a push around the plate and then blame a huge lunch at your parents, at least until we let everyone know." His quick response gave Hermione confidence.

She stuck to his excuse and after assuring Mrs Weasley that the food was fine and that she had just misjudged the amount of food at her parents' house. She could tell that Mrs Weasley was probably blaming her own recipes but at least it had passed. Hermione managed to force down some sickly sweet sticky toffee pudding before they were finally given leave from the table to squish in beside one another once again in the living room.

"Time for tea, move out of the way!" Mrs Weasley called as she ushered a floating tray of tea and cups through the small group and onto the coffee table in the middle of the room.

Hermione was soon handed a cup of tea with enough room for some milk, just how she liked it. Fred leaned in whilst everyone was busy trying to sort their own cups of tea.

"We should tell everyone now," he murmured into her ear.

"What are you two love birds whispering about?" Harry called at them with a grin.

They both took a deep breath and looked at one another.

"I've got this," Fred said with a smile as he took Hermione's hand.

"You've got this? What's that supposed to mean?" Ron asked with a confused expression.

"Well, if you listen careful and don't interrupt me you'll find out." Fred snapped. "As I was trying to say, Hermione and I would like to let you all know that we will also be welcoming a little Weasley into the family."

There was a short pause followed by an outburst of joy at the announcement. Mrs Weasley was the first to reach them, tears already in her eyes.

"I'm so happy for you both!" she cried, first pulling Fred into a hug and then Hermione. "I can't wait for our family to grow even more and I'm so glad that you're a part of it my dear." She told her as she held her hands.

"Thank you Molly, we're so happy!"

They spent the rest pf their evening discussing the future of the entire family, as everyone fawned over Ginny and Hermione. By the time Fred announced that they should get going Hermione was already beginning to feel overly tired.

"Dear, if you need anything at all you know where we are."

"Of course, thank you so much!"

She took Fred's arm once again and he apparated them back to her own little flat. It was rather nice, she thought, after the hustle and bustle of her busy few days of announcements to be back in her flat, surrounded by all of her things, Fred included.

"I knew that everyone would take it well."

"I knew that too, it was just so daunting to tell them. We only just decided that we could handle it and then we decided to tell everyone in a matter of days."

"When you say it like that it sounds so much worse than it was."

"Exactly! So that means that nothing is as bad as it seems my love."

Fred shot her a huge grin before dragging her through to bed. She had to admit that she was a little jealous of his constant happy-go-lucky attitude. She had always been so serious and focused that she barely allowed herself any time for real fun.

However, since becoming a couple, Hermione had already begun to feel herself loosening up. So much so that she knew that the Hermione that she was whilst at Hogwarts would most certainly not approve of many of the things that she had done. She could almost hear herself as a fifteen year old scolding her current self for being pregnant and ruining the career plan that she had set out for herself. She chuckled at the thought and managed to get herself into a state of tiredness. She was very much content with her life post-war, even if it had been filled with surprises that not even she could have predicted and planned for.

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><p><strong>I loved writing this. I'm trying to keep Hermione's uncertainty balanced throughout at the moment and by all means I'd love some feedback!<strong>

_**L x**_


	12. Chapter 11: A Turn For The Worse

**This chapter was incredibly difficult to write for a number of reasons and it took me a number of times to get it right which is why it's taken so long to get it out. I don't think that I will ever be entirely happy with this, it was so challenging and I'd never written anything like this before but I will put a small warning here that some people may find it a little distressing and hope that you can all bear with me on this!**

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><p>Since announcing her pregnancy two weeks previously, Hermione had already seen far more of her mother than she imagined that she would have. However she didn't regret it. It was as if she was beginning to make up for all of the lost time whilst she was at Hogwarts and she decided that it was well overdue. Being at Hogwarts was some of the best time of Hermione's life, but whilst she was learning to become a powerful witch her parents were hundreds of miles away and it had left some distance between them. Pair that with the war and their stint in Australia and Hermione knew that she owed a lot to them.<p>

"I can help you when you're doing the nursery if you'd like? I know that your father would love to help with that."

"That would be great, I imagine we'll probably look at that in a few months though." Even though she loved all of the help that she was getting from her parents, she was only just approaching her three month mark of her pregnancy.

"I understand darling, lots of other things to juggle first!" Jean Granger nodded as she took a sip from her wine glass.

Hermione and her mother were out for dinner, for the third time in a month, and she was already looking forward to getting back to her flat and putting her feet up. Pregnancy had done nothing but tire her out and she was so jealous of Ginny, who was on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from her and was still practicing flying at every opportunity because she had so much extra energy.

"Did you hear about Lucy that went to primary school with you?" her mother asked.

"Mum you know that I don't really know anyone from then anymore."

"Well, I bumped into their neighbour, who was telling me that apparently Lucy has developed the most horrible alcohol addiction!"

"Really? I thought her parents had always been very strict, aren't they both doctors?"

"Yes! And her father is actually very high up within the hospital and from what I gather he's rather embarrassed about the whole thing."

"I wonder why!?" Hermione added sarcastically. "This isn't like you to gossip though." She pointed out.

"I wouldn't have known if Mrs Finnigan, their neighbour, hadn't been dying to tell someone about it. Now she _is_ a terrible gossip."

"You'll turn into her if you're not careful, it seems as if you may have caught it from her!"

"Nonsense Hermione! I'm just passing on information that I thought you may have found of interest."

Hermione had to laugh at her mother's reasoning. She knew that it had struck a chord to accuse her of gossiping, Jean Granger was most definitely not one to get caught up in idle chat about people that she knew. But within seconds she knew that her mother had taken it as the joke that she had meant. The one issue that they had discovered was that they had little to discuss outside of the pregnancy. They discussed how work was for them all and how Fred and George were but it was difficult to discuss the magical world with them as there were so many things that fell under the Statue of Secrecy. However, they were all powering through it and as the days passed they were finding more and more to talk about.

"I hate to say it, but I'm going to have to head home very soon, I'm exhausted."

"I'll walk you to get a taxi, your dad's driving to come and get me so I'll give him a call. I think there's a payphone down the street."

They settled their bill and left the restaurant to find a taxi for Hermione. She would have happily walked or apparated, but given her current state her mother was deeming all of that too dangerous for her. Luckily, the taxi rank wasn't too far away so Hermione's tired feet were spared a long walk.

"Give me a call over the weekend and you and Fred can come over for dinner again, it was such a shame that he couldn't come last time!"

"I did explain that he struggles to take time off at the weekend!"

"I'm sure that George would cope but goodness knows what goes on in that shop of theirs!"

Hermione had to laugh in agreement at that statement. It was very rare that she understood or knew about everything that Fred and George were up to.

Before long they had a taxi waiting to whisk Hermione back to her flat and her mother was happily waiting for her father to pick her up. The journey back to her flat was, thankfully, a short one and it used up the last of the change in her purse. Fred and George were stocktaking in the shop with the other staff and knowing that he wouldn't be finished until late, she opted to return to her own, empty flat.

As she got ready for bed that night she realised that she'd had a meal that was far too heavy, her stomach was beginning to feel a little crampy and bloated. Her best course of action was sleeping, something that she was doing an awful lot of in her spare time. She felt bad for Fred, around about 60% of the time he spent with her was whilst she was napping. He didn't seem to mind. Instead he would carry her through to his room and wrap her in his duvet, leaving her to rest until she had enough energy again.

She collapsed onto her bed, completely exhausted, and pulled the duvet around her. She hoped that if she warmed up enough that she would get rid of the cramps. She remembered reading somewhere that it did occasionally happen in the early stages of pregnancy so she knew that sleeping it off was her best course of action. She checked the clock and saw that it was only half past nine. She laughed at herself for being in bed so early and briefly remembered all of the many midnight trips that she, Harry and Ron had taken whilst at Hogwarts. How times had changed for her.

It wasn't until sometime after 3am that Hermione awoke, her stomach cramps excruciating and her stomach churning. She instantly knew that something was wrong and she felt her breath hitch in her throat as she sat up and scrambled to find the light beside her bed. As she turned it on she let out a cry of complete despair. The pain was only getting worse and she knew from basic common sense that it wasn't a good sign whatsoever. Her stomach lurched as if she was being sick and her head span with possibilities of what was happening. As she threw back her cover to make her way to the bathroom to throw up she first noticed the blood. It was a patch right where she had been lying and as she saw it she felt her heart break. There was only one explanation that sprang to mind and as much as she hoped that she was wrong, her common sense was confirming her thoughts. Her baby was in trouble and she needed to do everything that she could to help it.

She managed to make her way to the phone that she had in the flat and dialled 999. The female operator answered and began asking questions and Hermione started crying uncontrollably. Before long she was sobbing hysterically and the operator was doing her very best to get some kind of sense out of what Hermione was saying.

"It-it's my baby! Something's wrong with my baby!" she cried as she sank to the floor with the phone.

The operator asked for her address and assured her that an ambulance was on the way. After finding out that Hermione was completely alone she stayed on the line, trying her best to calm her and keep her company until the ambulance arrived.

When it did, Hermione hung up from the 999 centre and made her way to the door, the pain only getting worse as she walked.

"Hello, we're from the emergency services, are you Hermione Granger?"

Hermione nodded, her face still streaked with tears.

"Ok darling, let's get you sat down shall we?" the female asked and directed her towards the sofa. "How many weeks pregnant are you Hermione?"

"11 weeks. The pain only started this evening, but it's the worst I've ever felt!" she clenched her teeth as another wave washed over her.

"Have you lost any blood?" the other paramedic asked as he took her blood pressure.

She nodded again and pointed at her bed, which was visible through her open bedroom door. The female paramedic went to have a look before returning to inform her that they were going to take her into hospital and have a midwife and a doctor check her over.

"Are you in contact with the father?"

"H-he-he's working tonight. I'll call him from the hospital." Hermione lied, she didn't want Fred to see any of this

She then helped her to grab a few things, gave her something to manage the pain and then helped her down and into the ambulance.

The journey to the hospital and her bed there passed in a blur as she struggled to stay calm and found herself in a steady level of pain. All that she could think about was her baby. She continuously asked if it was going to be ok and she continued to get no response. That only made her stomach churn more as she realised that there was a very high chance that she had lost or was losing her little Weasley.

She began asking for her parents, after realising that there wasn't a way for the hospital to contact Fred. A nurse obliged and said that she would have someone call them as soon as possible although it wasn't their main concern as Hermione was still losing blood. As accident and emergency was very busy, she had to wait quite a while until a doctor could see her. She had to make do with a nurse checking on her every 20 minutes and giving her drugs to manage her pain. It was at that moment that she realised that she would far rather be in St Mungo's, surrounded by magical remedies rather than in a muggle hospital, where there were far more limits to their healing.

The doctor finally arrived and began barking orders at the nurse, who wheeled in a large piece of equipment that she could only presume was an ultrasound machine.

"I can't lose my baby, please don't let my baby go!" she sobbed, her chest tightening as the doctor began to prepare her for an ultrasound.

The gel on her stomach was incredibly cold, at least she thought it was but it could have simply been that her skin had burned up during the ordeal. She was barely listening to a word that he was saying, most of it was medical jargon that he was muttering to the nurse as they searched around to look for her baby, however as soon as he ended the scan she was surprisingly alert.

"Miss Granger would you like us to wait until your parents arrive? I've been told that they're on their way."

Hermione shook her head, "I'd like to know right now please."

The doctor nodded and took a moment to consider what he was saying. "I'm terribly sorry to be the one telling you this but I'm afraid that you've miscarried."

"NO!" she screamed, the tears beginning to fall down her cheeks once again. "That can't be right, I can't have lost my baby!" she sobbed.

"It was likely to have been the case from the moment that the bleeding began but the ultrasound confirmed it. I really am sorry for your loss. At this point in time there is nothing we can do a part from give you some pills to control your pain. I'm confident that you don't need to be in hospital, and I'd rather that you were able to be comfortable at home. Once your parents arrive I'm happy to discharge you."

Hermione nodded but she had barely been listening. All that she wanted was Fred. She wished that she had sent an owl whilst she was waiting for the ambulance, or that she had asked for her parents to contact him. All of this had happened and he was blissfully unaware about it all. It broke her heart to think that she still had to tell him. How do you tell the person that you love that you've lost their child?

She shuddered at the thought. She just wanted to be out of the hospital and at home with her parents. She managed to regain some control over herself as the doctor spoke again.

"I'd like you to organise an appointment with your own doctor in about a week's time so that they can check you over and help you to look towards the future."

Before she could respond to his suggestion, the curtain around her bed was being hauled back and her parents were by her side.

"Hermione? What's going on? They couldn't tell us too much over the phone!" her mum demanded.

"Mum…I-I miscarried I've lost my baby!" Hermione cried and instantly she felt her parents wrap their arms around her. It was the first time that she had said it aloud and it made it feel so much more real.

"Oh Hermione I'm so sorry my darling!"

"How do I even tell Fred about this!?" she wailed.

"We'll deal with that when he gets to our house, the doctor said you were about to be discharged."

Her mother was right and Hermione was discharged within the hour. It was close to dawn as they left the hospital and reached her parents' car.

"I'll let Fred know that I'll be at home," she said as she miraculously managed to conjure a patronus and send it to Fred with a very short message.

She dozed off on the journey back to her parents' house but her mother woke her and helped her into the house.

"Do you want anything just now? Or would you just like to sleep?"

"I just want to sleep forever an pretend that this didn't happen." She replied, a little wearily.

Her parents nodded.

"Let's get you to bed then shall we Mia?" her dad said, using the nickname that he had used when she was a child.

By the time she was settled in her old bed she realised how exhausted she really was, physically and emotionally. Finally being on her own was giving her far too much time to think about the last few hours and what had happened. All that she wanted was for her memory to be wiped and she seriously considered using the exact same spell that she had used on her parents during the war. She realised that as distraught and as tired as she should have felt, the only word that she could use to sum up how she felt was numb. She felt as if her brain had been frozen or had gone into overdrive and had shut down. Nothing else was processing apart from the realisation that she had miscarried. She logically presumed that she must have been in shock, although it didn't feel that way to her, and she knew that she would, eventually, have to deal with it all again but was finding the numbness surprisingly soothing. Reason and common sense prevailed and she eventually fell into a deep sleep far quicker than she had thought that she would.

She slept, blissfully unaware that Fred had arrived, confused and looking for answers. It wasn't until late afternoon that she finally woke up but she instantly wished that she hadn't. Fred had pulled a chair up next to her bed and was staring at her through his tired, bloodshot eyes.

"When did you get here?" Hermione croaked.

"About 8 this morning. I've been right here ever since. Apart from when your mum forced me to go downstairs to eat." He tried to force a smile but even that managed to turn out sad.

He climbed into the bed next to her and wrapped his arms around her, tears falling down his face as he buried it into her hair.

"Fred I'm-"

"I know."

"I don't-"

"I know."

Hermione wasn't sure how to handle the situation and she was sure that Fred did either. Part of her wanted the ground to swallow her up so that she didn't have to deal with any of it but she knew that, as an adult, she had to.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what I should say."

"There's nothing that anyone can say! Nothing is going to make this better or make it any easier for us!" he told her, his voice raising a little as he did so.

"Fred…" she warned him a little. The last thing that any of them needed was to be angry.

"You can't seriously expect me to be calm about this can you? I am as _equally_ heartbroken as you are!"

"I know that you are, I just don't think that being angry at each other is the right way forward," she told him quietly.

"I'm angry at the universe! Why did it pick us and our baby? I just don't- ugh!" he pulled at his hair as he rose from the bed and walked to the window.

Fred couldn't understand why or how Hermione was acting so calm given all the factors. If anything it frustrated him. He wanted her to be as mad as he was and to scream and shout and to cry but most of all he wanted her to tell him the logics behind why it happened, the way that she had always known everything at Hogwarts.

They didn't speak for hours, instead they sat in silence with one another and tried their best to figure out where to go from there. Eventually, Hermione fell asleep and Fred envied her; he felt as if he would never sleep again. He was already consumed with thoughts of 'what if' and he couldn't stop his mind for even five minutes so that he could catch some sleep with his girlfriend. Instead he decided that he should be dealing with his family and finding comfort from them too. He rose without stirring her and found some paper and a muggle pen lying on the old desk in the corner. He found it far easier to write down his thought process and by the time that he was finished he felt as if there was more progress on the paper in front of him than they had both made the entire day. He folded it, wrote her name on it and placed it onto the pillow beside her before stepping out into the hall and apparating back to his own flat in Diagon Alley.

He found George and Angelina enjoying a glass of wine on the sofa when he arrived. Judging by their matching looks of complete shock, he realised that he must have looked awful to the rest of the world.

"Where have you been Freddie? I've been looking for you all day."

"I was…at Hermione's parents' house." He told them after a moment.

"I didn't realise you were visiting them today, I should have remembered!" George said with a laugh.

Fred shook his head. "It wasn't a planned visit."

"Is everything ok?" Angelina asked him.

He shook his head again and managed to sink into the nearby armchair.

"It's Hermione. Sh-she lost the baby!" he hissed as he felt his chest tighten and he lowered his head into his hands.

Almost instantly George was kneeling in front of him, firstly trying to get some more words from him before giving up and pulling his twin into his arms. He listened, with a broken heart, as Fred cried until his throat was raw and his eyes were bloodshot. For the first time in their entire lives, Fred was hurting and George couldn't make it better. It was the first time that they hadn't been feeling exactly the same and going through exactly the same thing. George felt entirely helpless as his twin, his best friend and his other half was defeated and broken in his arms.

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><p><strong>I would really love to hear from any of you about this, whether it's something you liked or something that isn't quite right. I'm happy to make amendments for facts if need be.<strong>

_**L x**_


	13. Chapter 12: The Aftermath

_Hermione,_

_You need to rest and we both need a little time to process this. I've gone home and I'll go and see my parents in the morning. I'll deal with my family so that you don't have to worry about it. I'll come back to see how you're feeling tomorrow evening but I think a little time on our own will probably be good for us._

_Stay Safe,_

_Fred_

Hermione wasn't quite sure what to make of his note. The only thing that really made sense was that he was really struggling. He didn't want to try and deal with it around her and she understood it. Whilst Hermione had pulled herself together and numbed once she had returned from the hospital, Fred was full of completely raw emotion that was spilling out all over the place. She made a mental note to owl him later in the day to see how he was, but apart from that there was very little that she could do for him from her bedroom at her parents' house.

Fred, on the other hand, had woken up with George sleeping next to him, something that they hadn't done since they were children. They would often crawl into the others bed when they had nightmares or when something was wrong but as they'd grown older they had grown out of the habit too. However this was an exception. George had known that there was nothing that he could do that would fix the pain that his twin was feeling but he could do all that he could to ease it for him. As Fred woke beside him he prepared himself for whatever Fred needed.

"Morning Gred," George smiled.

"Morning Forge," Fred tried his best to smile back. "Thanks for-"

George lifted his hand to stop him and shrugged. "It's what we've always done. Now what can I do?"

"I need to go and see Mum and Dad and I should probably let Ginny and Harry and Ron know too…"

"Ron will be at Mum and Dad's and we should catch Ginny at Grimmauld Place."

"What time is it?"

"Nearly lunch time. We'll grab some food and head over there first."

"Could you let Ginny know? I don't want to have to do this more times than I need to and I'd rather tell Mum myself."

"Of course I can, I'll come over to Mum and Dad's once I'm done there."

Fred was grateful to have George essentially telling him what to do and helping him out. His brain could barely think in a straight line, let alone plan out his day and how he would handle things. He knew that if the roles were ever reversed he would be doing exactly the same thing for his brother. Within the hour they were showered, dressed and fed prior to their trips. They stepped outside of the flat, locked the door and then bid each other goodbye as they apparated to their separate locations.

Fred arrived at the Burrow to grey clouds covering the sky and a slight chill in the air. He crossed the yard and wandered into the familiar kitchen that he grew up in, already dreading the reception hat his news would receive.

"Fred! It's so nice to see you finally taking some time out from the shop!" Mrs Weasley greeted him and ushered him into the living room.

She scurried around to get him some coffee and biscuits before she finally sat down with him.

"Fred you look terribly ill, what's wrong?"

"Hermione lost the baby." He said without looking up from his mug. He didn't feel the need to sugar coat and skirt around the issue, it was going to have to be said out loud at some point and he felt as if he might as well start as soon as possible.

Mrs Weasley said nothing but rushed from her seat to wrap her arms around her son.

Fred could feel her choking back her own tears but was thankful to have her with him; he needed someone else to be taking control of the situation.

"How is Hermione?" she asked him through the tears.

"She's mostly exhausted I think," he replied quietly.

"You think? Fred Weasley do not tell me that you have abandoned her at a time like this!" Mrs Weasley said sternly, immediately snapping back into her usual self.

"I haven't, I can promise you that. We just needed a couple of days apart to process this. I-" he ran a hand through his ginger hair, "I don't know how to get through to her, she's completely numbed herself and shut herself down. She's over at her parents' house."

"I can only imagine what you two are going through. What can I do to make this better Freddie?" she asked with his hands in hers.

He shook his head, unable to get the words out. He took another moment before he replied to her.

"I need someone to make this better. We're wizards and witches and we've got almost no limits to what we can all do but we couldn't save our baby's life! Why is that fair!? Magic saved Dad when he was attacked by Voldemort's snake and it saved Harry from a fucking _killing curse_ but god forbid that our little baby needs to be saved!" he sobbed in his mother's arms.

Mrs Weasley couldn't even bring herself to scold him for swearing so profoundly in front of her. Seeing one of her children so broken in front of her was killing her. She prided herself on her parenting but this was one problem that she simply couldn't fix, for Fred or Hermione. She hadn't felt this helpless since she was presented with Percy's body all that time ago during the battle of Hogwarts but even then there were things that she could do for her husband and her other children. Here, she was completely helpless and all that she could do was comfort them and offer whatever they needed.

"Freddie, I know that it doesn't seem like it right now, but I promise you that this is going to be ok. You both need time to mourn for your baby but you also need time to figure things out as a couple."

Fred nodded in agreement, knowing that his mother was, yet again, right. He had a sudden yearning for Hermione at that moment. He wanted to wrap her up and take care of her and promise her that she would never go through that much pain again but he knew that it just wasn't possible.

He stayed at the Burrow until after dinner, at his mother's insistence, and was glad to see George join them for the meal with Ginny and Ron in tow. His little sister gave him the tightest hug of all and whispered condolences and positive words into his ear before he could even greet her. He was grateful for them all being there to support him especially Ginny, who was quite heavily pregnant herself, as they'd always been close. The meal was one of the quietest that the Burrow had ever seen, even Ron kept his mouth shut for once, but just being surrounded by his family had eased Fred's nausea that had been sitting in the pit of his stomach all day.

He eventually managed to make excuses for himself and escaped from the house to apparated back over to the Granger house, tens of miles away.

He knocked on the door and waited for an answer, not sure if he was welcome enough just to walk straight into the house. After a few moments the door was thrown open and Mrs Granger welcomed him with a hug.

"It's good to see you Fred," she said with a small smile before ushering him into the house.

"How is she?" he asked as he took a seat in their living room.

"She's spent most of her time sleeping. She's barely eaten anything and she won't tell us anything. Truth be told, I'm beginning to worry about her. I was hoping that you would come back soon so that you could see if you could maybe get through to her?" she asked hopefully.

"I'll do whatever I can," he told her before excusing himself to go and see Hermione.

He knocked softly on the door and waited. There was no reply from the other side of the door so he pushed the door open slowly and crept in to see Hermione sat upright in bed and staring at him as he entered the room.

"Sorry love, I thought that you might have been asleep."

She shook her head and nodded for him to join her on the bed.

"I'm sorry that I left without talking to you. I thought that we could both use a little space on our own and I-"

Hermione raised a hand to stop him.

"You didn't do anything wrong, in fact it was probably the best for us all. I just don't know what we're supposed to be doing Fred! I don't feel sad or angry, I don't feel anything at all and that's the most terrifying thing about all of this – that I can't even grieve for our baby!" she began to cry as she spat the last sentence out, her hand instinctively going to her stomach.

Without thinking Fred wrapped his arms around her and held on as if it was the last time that the two would ever embrace.

"I should have done this a long time ago and I'm sorry love," he whispered.

"We're clearly both dealing with this in entirely different ways, which is fine, it just means that it's going to take time before we can deal with it together."

"But you are dealing with it, you're dealing with it on your own and without me and I don't know if I can do this without doing it with you," he told her honestly, being more honest with her than he had been since the whole ordeal had started.

"I promise that I will be with you for whatever you need. The…baby," she struggled over the word, "wasn't only mine, it was yours too, ours. We need to support each other, I completely agree."

Fred leant in and pressed a small kiss to her lips, the first such contact that they had had since they lost the baby. For a fraction of a second Hermione felt whole again, as if nothing terrible had happened and that they were simply spending a day together at her parents house. As soon as it had come it was gone again and reality was crashing down all around them.

Eventually they settled into an uncomfortable sleep, neither of them entirely sure how they would be able to move forward from this tragedy and slip back into reality.

Hermione was still at her parents' house when Ginny, heavily pregnant and accompanied by Harry and Ron, came to see her. Her mother was ecstatic to have her daughter's best friends finally visiting the family home after all these years but as Hermione laid eyes on Ginny she burst into tears and before she knew it she was a weeping pile of limbs on the floor and Harry and Ron had their arms wrapped around her.

None of them had factored Ginny's pregnancy into Hermione's emotional state, but it was only obvious that she would find it difficult to be around her, at least to start with. As Ron and Harry picked her up from the floor she tried her best to compose herself.

"I'm sorry Hermione, I didn't think about this at all," Ginny said, obviously flustered and a little embarrassed.

Hermione shook her head at her best friend.

"I'm so_ happy_ for you, there isn't a question of that," she told her through her sniffles, "It's just the first time that I've come into contact with anything baby related…" she trailed off.

They all immediately understood and as Mrs Granger hurried off to get refreshments for them all they took seats around the living room. Hermione ushered Ginny to sit with her and took her hand. The three friends were somewhat shocked to see Hermione in the state that she was. The tears were more than easy to handle, they'd had their fair share of them over the years, but seeing her so pale and fragile was something that none of them had anticipated and none of them knew how to deal with.

"Fred says that you're hoping to go back to your flat in the next few days?" Harry asked, trying to change the subject.

She nodded in response. "Mum wants me to perk up a little first, I've barely been able to eat since I got here," she admitted.

"Everyone sends their love and Mum says that she would love to have you over for dinner as soon as you're feeling up to it."

"Could we maybe…talk about other things? It's just that seeing all of you makes me want to think about anything other than our baby. If that's alright?"

"Of course it is," Harry beamed at her.

Before long they were regaling tales of their adventures at Hogwarts, the little ones that had only been for fun, and all of the times that they had nearly been caught. It only felt like a few minutes had passed when it began to get dark and they all told her that they had to get going as they had work in the morning.

"Let us know once you're back in London, we'll organise dinner or something," Ginny assured her with a kiss on the cheek.

The boys murmured similar niceties and by the time they had finally left, Hermione was exhausted once again.

It was another few days before Hermione was deemed fit enough to return home. Her parents would have loved for her to stay even longer but she firmly told them that it was about time that she tried to get some normality back into her life. Fred had kindly offered to take her back, she wasn't entirely sure how she felt about apparating that distance completely alone yet, and as they stepped on the spot in her parents living room and reappeared in her own back at her flat they were immediately met with a sight that filled them both with horror.

No one had returned to her flat to tidy up after the night that she had called the paramedics. Instead they were greeted with the sight of bloodied sheets, a phone that had been knocked off the hook and boxes of medication and potions everywhere.

"I had no idea that things were this bad before you got to the hospital…" Fred told her, pain in his voice.

It killed him to know that this was the state that surrounded Hermione when she was already in so much pain, fear and was entirely alone.

"I'd rather not dwell on it," she told him quietly as she began waving her wand to set the small flat back into order.

Twenty minutes later and the last of the bloodstains were rinsed out of the carpet and they were finally able to sit down without feeling an immediate pang of pain as they saw something else that reminded them of the horror of that night.

"Can we just go back to your flat? There's less there to remind me of it all."

"You know that you'll have to come back here eventually love," Fred reminded her.

"Not necessarily. I could live elsewhere, get a new flat or stay with my parents."

"Or you could live with us?" Fred suggested, perhaps a little too quickly.

"Seriously?"

"You spend a lot of your time there anyway, it seems like a logical move to me."

She thought about the proposition for a moment. It would be nice to move completely away from her little one bed flat, it had been hers ever since the war had ended and was home to hundreds of memory, both the good and the bad. Could she really just give up her own little space and move in with Fred?

The answer came two weeks later as she and Fred hauled the final box of her belongings into the flat above the shop. Hermione felt content knowing that she was finally out of her old flat, the one that held the worst memories of her recent life and had moved somewhere full of laughter and happiness that she knew was only going to make her feel better.


	14. Chapter 13: New Arrivals

"Hermione wake up!" Fred shook her a little roughly as she slept in their bed.

"Wha-" Hermione barely managed to form a word as she woke up.

"There was an owl, Ginny's gone into labour!" Hermione could hear the excitement in his voice and she dragged herself out of bed and quickly pulled some clothes on.

George was pacing around in the kitchen when she made her way through.

"Finally! Let's go, we've got a baby to go see!" he grinned before realizing his mistake.

Both Fred and Hermione felt their hearts sink, they should have been preparing for a similar situation in a few weeks.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think."

"It's alright, we can't not be happy for Ginny," Hermione smiled weakly before squeezing onto Fred's hand.

They arrived at St Mungo's soon after and found Ron waiting for them in the reception area looking a little disgruntled.

"How is she doing?" Fred asked.

"Alright I think. Mum and Harry are up in the room with her, everyone else is waiting in the maternity ward's waiting room."

"We'd best get up there then!" George grinned and clapped Ron on the shoulder as he sprinted past him towards the rest of the family.

Fred and Hermione followed Ron up the few flights of stairs that it took to reach the maternity ward and were greeted with hugs by Mr Weasley before being informed that Ginny had been admitted a couple of hours ago and that they were waiting for any news.

Hermione felt a horrible sense of déjà vu as they settled in the waiting room. She remembered the day that she and Fred had seen the midwife and how happy that had been as they decided to keep their baby. She hadn't realized that her hand had moved up to hold her stomach and it wasn't until Fred looked at her questioningly that she shook her head and felt her cheeks turn red. She tried to push all of her thoughts of her own baby to one side, telling herself that she was being selfish to dwell on something so negative when they were there for Harry and Ginny.

Luckily it wasn't long before Harry rushed into the room, beaming and tear stained to announce that Ginny had given birth to a gorgeous little boy.

Hermione felt her eyes well up with tears as she ran towards Harry and threw her arms around him.

"Congratulations!" she managed to get out before pulling back to grin at him.

"We'd like you to be his godmother, we decided that weeks ago."

"Oh Harry I'd be honored to be his godmother!" she felt her eyes well up at the news.

"Oi, Ron!" Harry grinned, "How do you feel about being a godfather?"

Ron made his way to Harry and Hermione and wrapped his arms around them both and for a moment Hermione felt as if she were a teenager again in the Gryffindor Common room. As they broke the hug Harry let them know that they could see both Ginny and the baby once they had been moved back into her private room.

Hermione found Fred and took his hand. Although she was over the moon for her best friends she was also apprehensive. They had known that they would have to deal with it in the foreseeable future but now that they were standing in the room waiting to see the new baby they both felt uneasy.

"I don't know if I can do this right now..." Fred told her as he leaned down to kiss her head.

"Me either, but we have to. We'll do it together, I promise."

In her words Hermione was being strong and moving forwards but in her head she was terrified of how she was going to hold it together.

"They've just taken her into her room, she's asked to see you all," Mrs Weasley beamed as she entered the room.

"How is she?" her husband asked as he rose from his chair.

"She's doing well, just tired. Come on then!" she added as everyone looked at her expectantly.

The family shuffled out of the waiting room and along a number of corridors until they reached the door that was marked with a sign that read, "Potter, G." and pushed it open to reveal an exhausted looking Ginny holding her new son close to her chest. They piled into the room and gushed at the sight of the new baby, each member of the family taking their turn.

Hermione hadn't realized that she had taken a step back and stopped listening to he excited chatter of the family until she heard someone call out for the Godmother to hold the baby. Fred nudged her in the direction of the bed and as soon as she laid eyes on her beautiful godson she burst into tears.

"I'm so sorry, I just can't…"

She rushed from the room and stumbled back down the corridors and only stopped once she had reached the stairwell outside of the ward. As she leaned over the banister and cried she couldn't help but get angry with herself for leaving the room and causing a scene. But as soon as she considered returning to the room her heart sank and her feet refused to move. Her chest was so tight that she could barely breathe and she realized that she was finally letting go of all of the built up grief that she had been holding onto for all of those weeks.

Fred found her soon after and instantly took her into his arms, knowing all of the feelings that she was going through.

"Are you ok?" he asked her after a moment.

"No but I need to be. I can't believe that I caused a scene like that."

"Don't be stupid, they all understand. The first thing that they asked was if they should have handled it more delicately."

"I feel terrible, I was so rude…"

"We lost a baby Hermione and it's not something that just goes away or you get over in a day or a week. I still feel like a part of us was physically ripped away from us and I don't doubt that you do too. They get that as best as they can. If you want to go back then I'll hold your hand, I'll let you hide away behind me and I'll damn them all to hell if I have to as long as you're ok."

She let a small smile escape her lips then.

"Thank you, I couldn't do any of this without you."

"I've said this a hundred times love; we're in this together."

He took her hand and she surprised herself as she began to follow him back into the maternity ward and towards Ginny's room.

"Take a deep breath, you can do this," Fred smiled at her.

She did as he suggested and stepped back into the small room, still cramped with all of the family that were there. She passed them all and made her way to Ginny, instantly wrapping her arms around her best friend and was surprised when they both whispered apologies to the other.

"I think I need to meet my godson," Hermione told her quietly and Mrs Weasley brought him over, slowly passing the little baby into her arms.

She quickly caught a glance at Fred, who she could tell was struggling to take in the sight of his love holding a baby, before finally looking at her godson. She instantly felt guilty for ignoring the little boy in her arms; he was utterly gorgeous with a small amount of dark hair like Harry and Ginny's petite features.

"He's perfect," she managed to choke out before her eyes overflowed with tears once again.

In the weeks that followed Hermione found herself in the company of Harry, Ginny and little James far more than she had first imagined. She and Ron had been round for dinner several times and Ginny had popped in past the office with James when she had stopped by to see Harry. Hermione was grateful for all of the time she was getting to spend with her godson, it made her happy and she knew that she needed it.

One evening, as she, Fred, George and Angelina were preparing to head over to Grimmauld Place for dinner the second couple asked if they could have a word before they left to meet everyone else. As Fred and Hermione sat down they were a little confused as to what was coming next.

"So we've been together for a while," George began, "and we're happy to say that it's quite serious now. So what we've been thinking is that the two of us could maybe start considering-"

Angelina cut him off.

"What my dear other half is trying to get around to telling you is that we're moving in together!" she grinned as she shared the news.

"That's fantastic!" both Fred and Hermione announced.

"But we'll be moving out of here," George added.

"It's not that we don't want to be here, it's just that we feel like it would be too cramped with four of us and you two have only just settled here together. We'd much rather give you the space here and start afresh somewhere else."

Hermione was grateful for their understanding but also a little sad that George was going to be moving out. She quickly looked at Fred who was the picture of happiness for them but she knew that there was a part of him that was a little distraught at the prospect of being distanced from his twin.

As they turned to apparate Hermione could have sworn that she saw Fred's eyes a little teary but she passed the thought to the back of her mind as they held hands and left for the family dinner.

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><p><strong>Apologies for the time that it's taken for me to update again, it's been a busy few weeks and the ones ahead are looking even busier so I will try to keep going!<strong>

**x**


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